Hey, cool news – the Cheater’s Guide to Baseball segment I did on NPR’s Day-to-Day, reading from the hidden ball trick chapter and talking about other good stuff, is going to be included on an NPR best-of baseball CD. Woo-hoo! If you missed it, here’s a link to the segment. Makes me want to grin.
{ 2007 06 04 }
phil mayo | 05-Jun-07 at 5:13 am | Permalink
it’s ironic you should have a post on mike lowell on the same day as your hidden ball trick post. lowell is the best, hands-down at the hidden ball trick. i saw him do it at least three times when he was in florida. he’d deke the throw into the pitcher, the pitcher would walk around the mound until one of the baserunner wandered off the base and then he’d nail them. he’s really, really good at it. so why doesn’t he have a-rod’s rep?
phil mayo | 05-Jun-07 at 5:18 am | Permalink
here’s a so-so video clip of lowell’s little sleight of glove: http://www.ifilm.com/video/2677704?cmpnid=753&pt=sr&refsite=7063
phil mayo | 05-Jun-07 at 5:23 am | Permalink
http://www.ifilm.com/video/2677704?cmpnid=753&pt=sr&refsite=7063
DMZ | 05-Jun-07 at 10:36 pm | Permalink
Oh, Lowell’s certainly the most accomplished active player at it, there’s no question with Matt Williams long retired.
joser | 13-Jun-07 at 9:50 am | Permalink
Julio Lugo pulled it off last week.
Friday, June 8, 2007: Arizona vs Boston
AP wire report:
Arizona 3B Alberto Callaspo fell victim to a hidden-ball trick in the third. After beating a throw to second base, Callaspo stood to dust himself off, pulling his left hand off the bag. Lugo, standing behind him with the ball in his glove, made the tag. ”Lugo just kind of slipped behind him,” Beckett said. ”I was actually back there trying to get him to throw me the ball. I’m glad he didn’t throw me the ball.” The last time the Red Sox pulled the trick was May 13, 1991, when Steve Lyons caught the White Sox ‘s Ozzie Guillen at second base
However, Lowell doesn’t think it qualifies as a “real” hidden ball trick because no salemanship was involved:
http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2007/06/10/lowell_isnt_hiding_his_feelings_on_trick_play/