Dial 4-6-5-6-5-3-4

April 12, 2013 10:24 PM

1st Triple Play of 2013. The Yankees pull off a unique 4-6-5-6-5-3-4 triple play. It's the first turned by NY since they executed a more conventional version in 2010. But as an A's fan, I prefer this one, which is is bit more uncommon.
posted by TDIpod (54 comments total)

More uncommon? I thought today's had never happened before?
posted by docgonzo at 10:28 PM on April 12, 2013

Sabathia has gotta be the luckiest pitcher alive.
posted by carsonb at 10:30 PM on April 12, 2013 [4 favorites]

Came to watch the defensive prowess, stayed to watch the terrible baserunning.
posted by MegoSteve at 10:30 PM on April 12, 2013 [11 favorites]

And at the same time he's saying he's just glad he didn't get involved in the rundowns.
posted by carsonb at 10:31 PM on April 12, 2013

Amazingly bad base-running. The 1st base coach should be shot.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 10:35 PM on April 12, 2013 [5 favorites]

How did I fucking know that my beloved, terrible BO's would be on the receving end of this?

Great play. Fuck the Yankees.
posted by bardic at 10:54 PM on April 12, 2013 [5 favorites]

Let's Go Yankees!

In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made, oh
There's nothing you can't do, now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new.

Oh god they caught such a break Machado didn't hold up at first.
posted by Ad hominem at 10:55 PM on April 12, 2013

I'm still bitter from '92.
Beautiful play, but yeah, that baserunning sucked.
posted by ZaphodB at 10:58 PM on April 12, 2013 [2 favorites]

Having (briefly) been an umpire and having to work 2-umpire games, this is a complete nightmare in that situation.

However, watch the umpires and note how utterly unfazed they are by this (particularly the 3rd base umpire). The final out by the 2nd base umpire is textbook-perfect with the position-switch between the second and third outs, putting him in just the right spot to see the tag and observe-pause-call. Obviously I'm not surprised at their professionalism, but it's worth looking at it specifically if you haven't before.
posted by grajohnt at 10:59 PM on April 12, 2013 [6 favorites]

Words that are heavy with nothing but trouble:
"Tinker to Evers to Chance..."

..to Evers, to Tinkers, to Chance, to Tinkers.
posted by eriko at 11:04 PM on April 12, 2013 [5 favorites]

It's possible to turn a triple play without a defender touching the ball.

Runners on first and second. Batter pops up and is out on infield fly rule. Runner on first runs past the runner on second and is out for passing the runner. Runner on second gets hit by ball and is out. Three outs.

You might object that would only hapen due to wildly bad baserunning, but that's true of the 4-6-5-6-4-3-4 too.
posted by ILuvMath at 11:08 PM on April 12, 2013 [5 favorites]

I love how Machado throws down his helmet as if they got lucky throwing him out.
posted by ob1quixote at 11:15 PM on April 12, 2013 [2 favorites]

Runner on second gets hit by ball and is out.

If the runner is *ON* second, not out.

If the runner is advancing or retreating to his base? Out. But a runner, occupying his base, can never be put out.
posted by eriko at 11:16 PM on April 12, 2013

If the runner is *ON* second, not out

Yes, bad English on my part. I meant that the runner who had been on second wandered off the base for some inexplicable reason.

Also I meant 4-6-5-6-5-3-4.
posted by ILuvMath at 11:19 PM on April 12, 2013

Has a base runner ever been hit by a fly ball or passed another runner?
posted by Mitheral at 11:19 PM on April 12, 2013

Has a base runner ever been hit by a fly ball or passed another runner?\

Yeah, check out ZaphodB's link
posted by Ad hominem at 11:24 PM on April 12, 2013 [1 favorite]

A cheat sheet for anyone else who has no idea what the numbers mean: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_positions
posted by startled at 11:26 PM on April 12, 2013 [3 favorites]

Can someone explain the A's triple play to me? The first out is the catch; the second is tagging the runner on his way to 2nd; but what is the third? Was the runner on his way to third, and there was another, unseen runner on his way to 2nd? I'm confused.
posted by Balok at 11:38 PM on April 12, 2013

I still can't get over why the 1st base coach allows the batter to pass first base. Dude, if you have to tackle the guy, tackle him. Don't let him run toward the guys with the ball.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:43 PM on April 12, 2013 [5 favorites]

Balok, the third out comes from the force-out tag on second base, where there was a runner headed to third.
posted by shen1138 at 11:44 PM on April 12, 2013

The first out is the catch; the second is tagging the runner on his way to 2nd; but what is the third?

Runners on 1st and 2nd. The fly ball is caught. The man running from 1st to 2nd is tagged. The guy running from 2nd to 3rd (unseen in the clip) must return to 2nd -- he's gotta tag up if he wants to advance. He doesn't; the base is touched before he can get back.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 11:45 PM on April 12, 2013

I still can't get over why the 1st base coach allows the batter to pass first base. Dude, if you have to tackle the guy, tackle him. Don't let him run toward the guys with the ball.

Rule 7.09(g) It is interference by a batter or a runner when in the judgment of the umpire, the base coach at third base, or first base, by touching or holding the runner, physically assists him in returning to or leaving third base or first base.

source

But yeah, pretty bad coaching too. Should have yelled at him to stay.
posted by ILuvMath at 11:49 PM on April 12, 2013

Generally, every sport loves a rare thing that happens in threes. The phrase "hat trick", originated with cricketer HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls (so says Wikipedia) but now applies to everything from handball to water polo and of course hockey. Three-pointers and triple-doubles in basketball. The Triple Crown and three-way ties in horse racing. Three-time Indy 500 winners. Teams that three-peat.

Why three?

I'll tell you why.

Four is fucking impossible.
posted by twoleftfeet at 12:11 AM on April 13, 2013 [1 favorite]

Oh god they caught such a break Machado didn't hold up at first.

Thought once its clear the guy is in a rundown between 2nd and 3rd his job is to draw the ball to 3rd and when that happens Machado is supposed to take 2nd when the 3rd baseman tags out the runner between 2nd and 3rd.
posted by Ironmouth at 12:30 AM on April 13, 2013

Yeah the base-running (and coaching thereof) was spectacularly bad, but this was fun to watch. Thanks!
posted by trip and a half at 12:39 AM on April 13, 2013

twoleftfeet: it is possible to get four strike-outs in an inning. Let's say you strike out the first two batters of an inning. Third batter strikes out swinging, but the catcher either drops the ball or it passes him, giving the batter the opportunity to run to first (first base must be unoccupied). Batter (now runner) beats throw to first. It counts as an error on the catcher. Then, the pitcher strikes out the fourth batter.
posted by XhaustedProphet at 12:47 AM on April 13, 2013

it is possible to get four strike-outs in an inning

I didn't know that was possible in baseball, so thanks!

Four strikes in a row is much more common in bowling, and is variously known as a hambone or four bagger, though I prefer the name XXXX, which makes bowling seem like mega-porn.

Anyhow, I think we can all agree that five is fucking impossible, no matter which sport.
posted by twoleftfeet at 1:20 AM on April 13, 2013

You're not going to believe this!
posted by XhaustedProphet at 1:33 AM on April 13, 2013 [1 favorite]

Shit.

Five is possible. Even six is possible, since it happens with every touchdown in football.

There's probably no end to this. The English cricket team won with a score of 903 to 7.

1000 is fucking impossible. I don't care how crazy your sport is... it's just not possible that a number like 1000 could ever be involved in your margin of victory. No way.

Shit.
posted by twoleftfeet at 2:00 AM on April 13, 2013 [4 favorites]

Amazingly bad base-running. The 1st base coach should be shot.
posted by Cool Papa Bell

I mean, that's a bit extreme. Maybe 1st base coaching isn't his destiny. Perhaps he should consider joining the Coast Guard.
posted by disillusioned at 2:40 AM on April 13, 2013 [9 favorites]

I'm having a problem understanding the first link...
The first out, I assume is that the ball is thrown to the second baseman
to force out the runner coming from first ....but he never touches the base!
am I misunderstanding this?
posted by quazichimp at 2:46 AM on April 13, 2013

I'm having a problem understanding the first link...
The first out, I assume is that the ball is thrown to the second baseman
to force out the runner coming from first ....but he never touches the base!
am I misunderstanding this?

He drags his foot across the bag ever-so-expertly.
posted by disillusioned at 3:16 AM on April 13, 2013

It must be camera angle, because i don't see it.
...his foot does not go across the bag.
posted by quazichimp at 4:21 AM on April 13, 2013 [1 favorite]

I was watching this live. Typical Orioles. FUCK!!! (But, hey, Machado hit that home run against the Red Sox and he's only 20. I forgive him.)
posted by josher71 at 4:54 AM on April 13, 2013

The English cricket team won with a score of 903 to 7.

That's 903 for 7. In cricket you get ten wickets each innings (and two innings each per match). A score of 903 for 7 means that after scoring 903 runs having only lost 7 wickets, the team said that that was more than enough and they weren't going to bother making the Australians get the other three men out. Either that or they ran out of time after scoring 903 runs.

In baseball terms that sort of score is the equivalent of one team saying "We've picked up a dozen this innings with only two men out. Time to take the field."
posted by Francis at 5:57 AM on April 13, 2013

bardic: "Great play. Fuck the Yankees."

This.
posted by chavenet at 6:01 AM on April 13, 2013 [2 favorites]

Thank God that Derek Jeter is out injured. Had Jeter been out on the field, all we would hear about is how singularly brilliant "The Captain" is and how this play could have only happened with someone like him on the field orchestrating it.
posted by flarbuse at 6:20 AM on April 13, 2013 [5 favorites]

it is possible to get four strike-outs in an inning

I didn't know that was possible in baseball, so thanks!

Anyhow, I think we can all agree that five is fucking impossible, no matter which sport.
posted by twoleftfeet at 1:20 AM on April 13

And here comes mighty Joe Niekro to disabuse you of that notion. His doesn't 'count' since it was spring training, but still!
posted by The Notorious SRD at 7:37 AM on April 13, 2013

Last night's Angels Astros game ended when Josh Hamilton was picked off first base running from second to third after a high foul pop up behind the catcher. That is the worst single baserunning antic I can recall seeing. I heard he is making 20 million a year or something for that shit. Thank heavens I ain't an Angels fan or I might have had a stroke.
posted by bukvich at 7:56 AM on April 13, 2013

Unrelated, but I would like baseball fans to tell me why the batter wasn't called out on the ball boy's interference with Rajai Davis last night.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:52 AM on April 13, 2013 [1 favorite]

I'm a White Sox fan, so I admittedly have a ridiculously skewed perspective on this, but the announcer on that A's unassisted triple play was embarrassingly dry. Not sure if he was covering the game for the Yankees or A's, but either way, he's announcing a game that just had an unassisted triple play, andhe can't bother to call it with a modicum of emotion or excitement?

It's one of the rarest events in baseball, and he'll almost certainly never see it again. Nor will his viewers. And yet.... Nothing.
posted by graphnerd at 9:04 AM on April 13, 2013 [1 favorite]

I might be mistaken, but I think Machado gets credited with a base hit in this play. Another piece of baseball weirdness.
posted by sixpack at 9:58 AM on April 13, 2013

bardic: "Great play. Fuck the Yankees."

I'm in complete agreement, although I will say this:

YOOOOOOUUUUUUUUKKKKKKKK!!!!!


Anyway, stupid base running, and fuck the yankees.
posted by horsemuth at 10:04 AM on April 13, 2013

quazichimp, it is difficult to spot from some of the camera angles in the video, but i found it at 0:59 looking from 3rd base towards 2nd - his foot does tag.

screencap from full screen
posted by m2ke at 12:11 PM on April 13, 2013

I believe there is a name for the reaction people have to the Yankees. A specific term invented by the Internet.I think it is "Mad Jelly".

In New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made, oh
There's nothing you can't do, now you're in New York
These streets will make you feel brand new.
Lights will inspire you.
posted by Ad hominem at 1:14 PM on April 13, 2013

m2ke: "quazichimp, it is difficult to spot from some of the camera angles in the video, but i found it at 0:59 looking from 3rd base towards 2nd - his foot does tag. "

It really doesn't matter. My least-favorite unwritten rule in baseball (and there are many) is that the 2nd baseman does not actually have to touch the bag on a double play. Not "he must touch it, if ever so gently." No, as in literally, umpires will basically give the second baseman the force-out if he makes a general overture in the direction of gliding his foot high above the bag's airspace.

My understanding is that this "area play" is designed to protect second the second baseman, who is vulnerable to take-out slides from the runner approaching second base. That sounds reasonable, but isn't the right remedy to eject and possibly suspend players who go in after the second baseman instead of altering the fundamental rules of the game? It's not like the second baseman is defenseless -- he's placing his foot on the bag in an attempt to make an out. If he can't do it safely, he can still get a force at first, or he can try to approach the bag at a different angle, or wait a second until it's safe. Of course competitive players are going to risk injury to make big plays, but it seems like at that point we're in "proceed at your own risk" territory.

I get that baseball's quirky rules are part of the mystique of the game, but for some reason this one really irks me. Either you touched the bag or you didn't.
posted by tonycpsu at 2:17 PM on April 13, 2013 [1 favorite]

I might be mistaken, but I think Machado gets credited with a base hit in this play. Another piece of baseball weirdness.


No hit, it counts as a force-out.
posted by ILuvMath at 3:37 PM on April 13, 2013

Yeah, Machado reached first base on a fielder's choice so he isn't credited with a hit.
posted by prosthezis at 4:17 PM on April 13, 2013

I was at the game last night! It was freezing at the ballpark, but at least the rain stopped in time for the game.

This was pretty neat (as was seeing Sabathia get called for a balk, not as uncommon, but a call I'd never seen in person at any level.)

As a Red Sox fan, I'm usually not happy to see the Yankees win, but in this case it put the Sox up half a game on the O's.
posted by Jahaza at 5:00 PM on April 13, 2013

The only bad base running out of the play was Machado. The other guys were just in an unfortunate position for what would have been a double play pretty much no matter what they did.

Machado though, that wasn't too inspiring.
posted by Brak at 11:07 PM on April 13, 2013

I was at a AA game in Knoxville the night of this triple play and saw a baserunner evade the tag on a run-down and make it to second. It was crazy.
posted by ChuraChura at 6:01 AM on April 14, 2013

I also found myself wondering why they wouldn't have just gone for an all-force-out play, via 4-6-(2nd base tag)-5-(3rd base tag)-3-(1st base tag), as opposed to running the 2nd-to-3rd base runner down and tagging him like they did. I had to look at the following in Wikipedia's Force play page:

"A force on a runner is "removed" when the batter or a following runner is put out." [Emphasis mine]

to understand that, once the runner going to 2nd was out, there was no more force play on the runner going to 3rd.

Every time I have to twist my brain into this kind of pretzel to understand baseball, I always mentally end my conclusion with "Hotbox!"
posted by Brak at 10:08 AM on April 14, 2013

it is possible to get four strike-outs in an inning

In fifth grade, I struck out 5 batters in an inning, and still didn't get 3 outs. My catcher couldn't hold on to the ball, and couldn't throw the ball to first without sailing it to right field.

Andre, if you're out there somewhere, I hope you learned to catch.
posted by Groundhog Week at 6:00 PM on April 14, 2013

... Three-time Indy 500 winners ...

Four is fucking impossible.

I think you'll want to check the record books on that one.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 12:14 PM on April 15, 2013