Over the years, in the gloried history of baseball, plays have occurred at each position that have been outstanding, special, unusual, humorous, tragic, and/or bizarre. So much so, that I have compiled a position-by-position list of such happenings.
To be sure, others will have their own favorites; these are mine. True, most incidents involve the New York Yankees, but, hey, I have been a Yankee fan for sixty years.
I present them in the order in which fielding numbers are assigned to various positions for scoring purposes, i.e., beginning with “one” for the pitcher.
One (P) – Perhaps the most athletic (and at the same time amusing) episode involved pitcher Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez of the New York Yankees a year or so ago. A grounder was hit back to Hernandez, who did not have the time to remove the ball from his glove and throw it to the first baseman. Thinking and reacting quickly, he flipped his glove (containing the ball) to first base in time for the out!
Two (C) – Various episodes have taken place behind home plate where the catcher squats. To me, the most noteworthy, and the stuff of baseball lore, involves the infamous “missed third strike” and Mickey Owen of the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the fourth game of the 1941 World Series, with two outs and two strikes in the top of the ninth, Brooklyn leading 4-3, and poised to tie the New York Yankees at two games each, the bottom fell out. Tommy Henrich of the Yankees swung and missed, apparently ending the game. However, the ball got past Owen, Henrich reached base, the Yankees went on to score four runs, and win the game. Up 3-1 in victories, the Yankees put the Series away the following day.
Three (1B) – Numerous outstanding plays have taken place at first base: spearing line drives, scintillating first-to-second-to first double plays, and the like. The moment for me, however (one which may well be replayed on sports TV programs for years to come) involves Don Mattingly of the New York Yankees. Chasing a foul ball, Don ran to the railing separating the fans from the field, and could not reach the ball. As he headed back to his position, Don reached over and helped himself to some popcorn a young fan had placed on the railing.
Four (2B) – Who will ever forget the line drive hit by Willie McCovey of the San Francisco Giants with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning of the seventh game of the 1962 World Series? With two men on, and the New York Yankees winning 1-0, Willie lined a vicious shot at Bobby Richardson who happened to be well placed at second base, and snared the rocket. End of game, end of Series.
Five (3B) - In 1948, George Kell, playing third base for the Detroit Tigers, was hit in the jaw by a smash off the bat of Joe DiMaggio. Kell, who had a fine career, suffered a broken jaw. Still, he managed to field the ball, and touch the bag at third for a force out. Then, and only then, he collapsed. He did return to the baseball wars in due course, and in 1949 led the American League in batting, narrowly edging out Ted Williams.
Six (SS) – Shortstop Tony Kubek fell victim to a bad hop in the bottom of the eighth inning of game seven of the 1960 World Series. With the Yankees ahead 7-4, a ball was hit to Kubek that had “double play” written all over it. Unfortunately for the Yankees and Kubek, the ball took a bad hop and hit him in the throat. Kubek went down coughing blood. The Pirates went on to score five runs, and although the Yankees did come back in the ninth inning, Bill Mazeroski won the game and Series for the Pirates (as well as everlasting fame for himself) with a “walk off” home run over Yogi Berra’s head. Kubek, destined for a great career, never achieved that potential, and retired early for medical reasons – perhaps caused by the bad hop grounder.
Seven (LF) – Sandy Amoros was a little-used outfielder for the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the 1955 World Series, a strange combination of circumstances had Amoros enter the seventh game to play left field in place of Junior Gilliam, who replaced Don Zimmer at second base after the latter left for a pinch hitter. The result was one of the great moments in baseball history. With the Dodgers ahead 2-0, Yogi Berra sliced a ball down the left field line, which Amoros, after a long run, snared with an outstanding catch, and whirled to throw to second for a double play. In all probability, Gilliam would not have made the catch since he was a right-handed thrower who wore his glove on the left hand, while Amoros, a lefty, wore his on the right hand, enabling him to reach out for the ball. A sure two-base hit good for a game tying two runs therefore did not happen, and the Brooklyn Dodgers won their first and only World Series while in that hallowed place in New York.
Eight (CF) – Willie Mays and “The Catch” in center field needs no elaboration or clarification. If you are a baseball fan, you know about what is arguably the greatest catch in the history of baseball, and how it enabled Willie and his New York Giants to rip the hearts out of the Cleveland Indians and win the 1954 World Series in four straight. If you are not aware of “The Catch,” you can hardly be a baseball fan anyway.
Nine (RF) – Many moments have transpired in right field. Among these is the shot that Mickey Mantle hit off the façade of the upper deck, barely missing leaving the ballpark fair for the only time in the history of Yankee Stadium. Yet, a young fan will probably be remembered longer for having reached over the right field wall in Yankee Stadium a few years back, and interfered with a ball hit by Derek Jeter. Ruled a home run (incorrectly), the hit was significant in the Yankees’ winning a playoff series, and “immortalized” one Jeffrey Maier, the fan.
And there you have my favorites for each position.
» Sam Person is a retired CPA and university professor of accounting who has been a baseball fan for sixty years. He enjoys writing on baseball history.
Also by Sam Person
» Some More Jewish Baseball Players
» My Brother’s Baseball Cards
» Strange Endings to Baseball Careers
» The Pitching Change
» More submissions
Copyright © 2001 by Sam Person. Posted May 2, 2001.
BALLPLAYERS | TEAMS | CHRONOLOGY | TODAY | BOOKS | NEWSLETTER | ERRATA | FAQ
