Video Archive 26
"Friendship is one mind in two bodies.'" -- Mencius, Chinese author
Nick Young Celebrates A Miss (3/25/2014)
The former guard for the Wizards, Lakers and several other teams was one unique cat—never was it dull where "Swaggy P" was involved, on or off the court. He even found a way to get thousands upon thousands of YouTube views over a rimmed-out three-pointer.
In a clash of two bad teams (the Knicks vs. Young's Lakers) in March 2014, Young put up a triple to beat the third quarter buzzer. It looked good, especially to Young, who proudly raised his arms in celebration...prematurely, as it turned out.
Notes: Tim Hardaway Jr. defends Young's shot; Pablo Prigioni gathers the rebound. The Lakers led 101-73 at the time; they'd go on to a 127-96 victory.
Young would take six three-point shots in the game; this was his only miss!
Ken Griffey, Jr. Joins 600 Club (6/9/2008)
On the one hand, it took longer than everybody expected. On the other hand, at least it happened at all, because for a time there was no guarantee it would.
The "it" in question? Ken Griffey Jr. reaching 600 lifetime MLB home runs.
Many thought it would be Griffey, not Barry Bonds, who'd become the next home run king. But that was before one devastating injury after another robbed Junior of much of his prime.
In time, Griffey was able to stay on the field again; he reached 500 home runs in 2004 and finally, vs. Florida's Mark Hendrickson, he clobbered #600 in June 2008.
Notes: Griffey's bomb was hit in the first inning of an eventual 9-4 Reds win; we see teammate Jerry Hairston Jr. waiting for him at home plate.
A few weeks later, Cincinnati traded Griffey to the White Sox. He would hit 30 more home runs in his career before retiring at 40 during the 2010 season.
Cubs Outfielder Neal Injured On Throw (8/7/2013)
Pro sports careers are so precious. On average, the small percentage who do make it to the pros don't last all that long. You just never know when—or how—it's all going to end.
Take Thomas Neal, for example. In early August 2013, he was a 25-year-old outfielder who the Cubs just acquired from the Yankees off waivers.
Neal, a former #36 pick who defied long odds just to reach the majors, was going to get a little bit of run in Chicago, until he committed the ill-fated act of...making a throw from left field.
Notes: Neal's season-ending dislocated shoulder occurred on a John Mayberry Jr. (Phillies) double off SP Travis Wood in the 7th inning. Neal spent all of the 2014 season in the minors, and never played pro ball again—you just watched his final MLB action.
We see Cubs manager Dale Sveum accompanying the trainer to the scene, and infielders Starlin Castro (holding Neal's mitt), Darwin Barney and Donnie Murphy plus outfielder Junior Lake checking in. Lake would move from CF to LF, with David DeJesus taking over in CF.
Mayberry did come around to score the tying run, but Chicago scored three in the T9th and won 5-2.
Also, that ballgirl should have been moving a hell of a lot faster than that.
Ump Dale Scott Hit By Liner (6/24/2015)
Considering everything, it's surprising how few times base umpires are injured during games. (Same for base coaches, but that's another story for another time.) But every great while, it does happen, as it did to 2B umpire Dale Scott in 2015.
On that day, the visiting Athletics held an 8-0 lead on the Rangers in the T4th. With two out and two on, A's infielder Brett Lawrie ripped one that the 56-year-old Scott—positioned in on the grass—just couldn't dodge. Play stopped, and the aching umpire left the game.
Notes: Scott did return to the game in the 7th, no worse for wear, although he was given the following night off. He would retire after the 2017 season.
One thing I'm confused about: I always thought umpires in fair territory were in play, but Scott quickly signals dead ball...
Lawrie is seen patting Scott as he exits the field.
The Rangers pitcher was Wandy Rodriguez. Lawrie was ruled safe at 1B with a single, but Oakland wouldn't score that inning or again in the game. Final score: 8-2.
Two Thunder Players Flop At Once (5/1/2013)
In the early part of the 2010's, "flopping", which is essentially pretending to be knocked down by an opposing player, reached ridiculous heights in the NBA. Night after night, player after player chose to simply fall down rather than attempt legitimate defense.
Even though the NBA passed anti-flopping measures (with stiff penalties) in 2012, flopping didn't entirely disappear.
Case in point: the first round of the 2012-13 NBA Playoffs, when Rockets C Omer Asik dared roll to the hoop against Oklahoma City's Derek Fisher (#6) and Kevin Martin (#23) in the 2Q of Game 5.
Notes: Asik was indeed assessed an offensive foul on the play. You see #12 Patrick Beverley hoist a three-pointer after the whistle.
Up 3-1 in the series, the Thunder lost this game, but did close the series out two days later. While Martin was not fined for flopping, Fisher was hit for $5K five days later.
Asik finished Game 5 with 21 points in 38 minutes.
Derek Jeter Becomes Mr. November (11/1/2001)
Game 4 of the 2001 World Series commenced on 10/31/2001. Initially a tight affair, the Diamondbacks moved ahead in the 8th and took a 3-1 lead into the 9th.
But Yankees 1B Tino Martinez smoked a two-run home run off Arizona CL Byung-Hyun Kim (who had entered in the 8th), forcing extras.
Midnight struck—it was now November. Kim remained in the game for the 10th, but after retiring the first two hitters, how much did he have left for the great Derek Jeter? Not enough, as it turned out.
Notes: The Diamondbacks RF you see in pursuit of Jeter's drive is Reggie Sanders. Arizona SP Curt Schilling, who started the game and threw seven strong innings, is shown in the dugout.
The homer was Jeter's only hit of the night in five trips. Kim finished with five K in 2.2 IP, but also allowed four hits—including the two homers—and a walk.
The win tied the series at two games apiece; Arizona eventually won it all on a walk-off hit in Game 7.
Fisk Tags Out Two At Once (8/2/1985)
On August 2, 1985, with two men on base, Yankees outfielder Rickey Henderson hit a ball over the head of White Sox center fielder Luis Salazar. Which should have been a good thing for the Yankees, except that after the ball hit the ground, everything that could have gone wrong for New York went wrong for New York.
Unsure if the ball would drop, lead runner Bobby Meacham (#20) slipped retreating to second base, allowing trail runner Dale Berra (#2) to nearly pass him. When 3B coach Gene Michael sent Meacham home, Berra followed closely.
Hall-of-Fame White Sox C Carlton Fisk was waiting for both men...
Notes: The play occurred in the B7th, with Sox co-ace Britt Burns pitching and the score tied at three. Henderson would be credited with only a single, and was not able to even advance on the throw home.
Mike Pagliarulo replaced Berra at 3B in the T8th; it's not clear if Berra was injured on the play or manager Billy Martin was exercising discipline...he was NOT happy in the aftermath.
Chicago would go on to a 6-5 win in 11 innings. Burns went nine of those innings.
Piscotty Hit Three Times In One Inning (4/4/2017)
Getting hit with a baseball once in a game is unlucky. Getting hit a second time is extremely unlucky. Getting hit a THIRD time? What exactly did you do to piss off the baseball gods, son?
Now, as crazy as getting hit by the ball three times in a game sounds, imagine receiving those three dings in the same INNING.
And taking the final blow to the dome.
Meet Stephen Piscotty of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Piscotty has had his share of physical woes since entering MLB, but nothing absurd like this. After his 5th inning on 4/4/2017 against the Cubs, you can't help but believe Piscotty crashed into a mirror while darting under a ladder to avoid a black cat earlier that day.
Notes: Jake Arrieta is the pitcher who drills Piscotty at-bat, Willson Contreras is the catcher who drills him at second base, and Javier Baez is the infielder who beans him at the plate and knocks him out of the game. It was the second game of the season, for Christ sake!
Matt Adams took over in LF as Randal Grichuk moved over to RF in place of Piscotty, who returned for the next game. His run was the only one St. Louis managed, as Chicago triumphed 2-1.