While all of those gimmick plays may have worked in the 1910s and 20s, I wonder if those are still legal in current rules. Anyone have any idea? I'd love to hear someone else's perspective.
The things you own end up owning you.
Apparently Mike Lowell pulled off the ole hidden-ball trick just last year. In fact, he did it in 2004 as well. Crazy!
http://www.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/gameday_recap.jsp?ymd=20050810&content_id=1165621&vkey=recap&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb
I also remember someone else attempting it a few years back (although it didn't work). Was it Mark Grace? Actually, I think it was a shortstop or second baseman, but it was a wily veteran along the lines of a Mark Grace.
Mark Grace is totally capable of pulling off trick plays like the ones in the movie, or like what Lowell did. He's a hell of a character! Anyone remember him coming into the 8th inning as a pitcher when Arizona was down by like 20 runs? He got the crowd back into it and made their night with a hysterical Mike Fetters impression. Great moment.
And just so no one is confused, the Mike Lowell play worked because he never threw the ball back to the pitcher in the first place. Terrero reached 3rd base, and the outfield threw the ball to Lowell (who normally would have thrown it right to the pitcher). Terrero did not notice that Lowell still had the ball and took a 2 step lead off of third, and Lowell tagged him out. The play was legal because the pitcher had never stepped back on the rubber to start the next at-bat/pitching series (he couldn't, since he didn't have the ball to pitch with!). Not quite the same as the movie, but still not the sort of play you expect to see in the Major Leagues. And it involved more than one player, because the pitcher had to do a great acting job to pretend he had the ball and that he was gearing up for the next batter, enticing Terrero to step off of third. So funny!
KissMyBoomstick666 has a great post below explaining how both plays in the movie are and aren't possible in the Major Leagues.
Baseball has rules to protect baserunners from obvious deception, from being faked out...but they only go so far. There is still a burden on the baserunners to pay attention because certain things are legal and you will get really embarrassed if you aren't paying attention.
The Marlins' Mike Lowell hidden ball trick is a classic example.
Baserunner stops at third on a single to left field--and Lowell catches the relay throw from the left fielder and simply holds on to the ball...just waiting for the runner on third to take his lead towards home---and then Lowell (still with the ball in his glove) will tag him out when the runner strays too far off the base.
But the key to this whole play is that the relief pitcher had to be off of the mound---and I don't just mean step off the rubber--he had to be completely OFF of the pitchers mound to make this play legal.
The baserunner who was tagged out was not deceived so much as he was completely unaware of what was happening. How the 3rd base coach was fooled is beyond belief..!
The Phillies tried it a couple years ago. I don't remember who tried it, Jose Mesa maybe? He couldn't get someone out any other way... It didn't work though
shareThe hustle-walk play is totally legal; once he gets to first, he's welcome to try for second.
The thing about the fake-pickoff play is that Bowers would have to step off the rubber; otherwise, it's a balk if he makes a move to first and doesn't throw the ball. I'm not sure that he did.
"The hustle-walk play is totally legal; once he gets to first, he's welcome to try for second."
Correct... however, it could never happen in the big leagues, since most catchers use a walk as a chance to exchange the ball with the umpire for a new one. The exchanging of the ball kills the play. It would be a very astute runner that could notice the catcher kept the same ball and then try for second. And then most catchers have a good enough arm that they could get the ball to second base well before the runner gets there.
"The thing about the fake-pickoff play is that Bowers would have to step off the rubber; otherwise, it's a balk if he makes a move to first and doesn't throw the ball. I'm not sure that he did."
Correct again... and no he did not step off the rubber. This was a balk. However... if the exact same play was done to a runner on second or third, it is perfectly legal (baseball has some crazy rules). The pitcher would not have to disengage from the rubber and could pretend to throw the ball without actually throwing, hang onto it and subsequently get the runner at third or home. But I think the movie needed the distance between first and third, in order to make the amount of time necessary to "find the ball" believable.
But still fun to think about!
"The hustle-walk play is totally legal; once he gets to first, he's welcome to try for second."
Correct... however, it could never happen in the big leagues, since most catchers use a walk as a chance to exchange the ball with the umpire for a new one. The exchanging of the ball kills the play. It would be a very astute runner that could notice the catcher kept the same ball and then try for second. And then most catchers have a good enough arm that they could get the ball to second base well before the runner gets there.
Correct again... and no he did not step off the rubber. This was a balk. However... if the exact same play was done to a runner on second or third, it is perfectly legal (baseball has some crazy rules). The pitcher would not have to disengage from the rubber and could pretend to throw the ball without actually throwing, hang onto it and subsequently get the runner at third or home. But I think the movie needed the distance between first and third, in order to make the amount of time necessary to "find the ball" believable.
"The hustle-walk play is totally legal; once he gets to first, he's welcome to try for second."
Correct... however, it could never happen in the big leagues, since most catchers use a walk as a chance to exchange the ball with the umpire for a new one. The exchanging of the ball kills the play. It would be a very astute runner that could notice the catcher kept the same ball and then try for second. And then most catchers have a good enough arm that they could get the ball to second base well before the runner gets there.
Correct again... and no he did not step off the rubber. This was a balk. However... if the exact same play was done to a runner on second or third, it is perfectly legal (baseball has some crazy rules). The pitcher would not have to disengage from the rubber and could pretend to throw the ball without actually throwing, hang onto it and subsequently get the runner at third or home. But I think the movie needed the distance between first and third, in order to make the amount of time necessary to "find the ball" believable.