Forced out at home from the outfield
While searching for more odd plays from last week. I noticed a peculiar event during a Red Sox game. With the based loaded, a 7-2 force out at home plate. The next batter, Carl Crawford, would get the walk-off single. So that got me wondering, when was the last outfield to catcher force out?
Back to Retrosheet*
* I should really write the book: Game Ending Intentional Walks and Other Oddities from the Retrosheet Files.
As it turns out, Retrosheet reveals 22 such events since 1950.
| GAME | EVENT | OUTS_ON_PLAY | ASSIST | PUTOUT | EVENT_TEXT | END_INN_P | END_GAME_P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLN195505130 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 92(3)/FO.2-3;1-2 | F | F |
| DET195806270 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 92(3)/FO.2-3;1-2# | F | F |
| CHA196207041 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 82(3)/FO.2-3;1-2# | F | F |
| PIT196609010 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 92(3)/FO.2-3;1-2 | F | F |
| SFN196904250 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 92(3)/FO.1-2;2-3 | F | F |
| SDN197109100 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 92(3)/FO.2-3;1-2 | F | F |
| ATL197209130 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 72(3)/FO.2-3;1-2 | F | F |
| MIN197207100 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 92(3)/FO.1-2;2-3 | F | F |
| BAL197605170 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 72(3)/FO.2-H(NR)(UR)(E2/TH);1-2 | T | T |
| SDN197708102 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 82(3)/FO.2-3;1-2 | F | F |
| LAN198007060 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 92(3)/FO.2-3;1-2 | F | F |
| CHN198008061 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 92(3)/FO.2-3;1-2 | F | F |
| CIN198409170 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 82(3)/FO/G.2-3;1-2;B-1 | F | F |
| SDN198509060 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 72(3)/FO.2-3;1-2 | F | F |
| SDN198604150 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 92(3)/FO/G.2-3;1-2;B-1 | F | F |
| PIT198806280 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 72(3)/FO/F7S.2-3;1-2;B-1 | F | F |
| CIN199509190 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 92(3)/FO/L9S.2-3;1-2 | F | F |
| SLN200309200 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 82(3)/FO/G.2-3;1-2 | F | F |
| SLN200604270 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 92(3)/FO/F.2-3;1-2;B-1 | F | F |
| PIT200707200 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 92(3)/FO/F.2-3;1-2 | F | F |
| ARI200905090 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 92(3)/FO.2-3;1-2 | F | F |
| BOS200907110 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 92(3)/FO/L.2-3;1-2 | F | F |
Yet another strange ending to a game. On May 17, 1976, the Brewers forced a runner at home from the outfield. But catcher Darrell Porter made a throwing error attempting to get a double play. The run scored on the play, allowing the Orioles to come back after being down 3-0 to start the eighth. Oops.
Interesting to find out, though, that beyond that there is no record in Retrosheet of a game ending on a outfield-to-home force out.
If I am reading the games correctly, that Tigers game was June 27, 1958 and Kaline threw the runner out at home for the force.
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/box-scores/boxscore.php?boxid=195806270DET
What an arm and player Kaline was.
I wonder how many of those were with an outfielder moved into the infield, so the defense was playing with five infielders?
@dfan
I just happen to be watching TV when that played happened. Since I was doing some research on unassisted double plays by outfields this got folded into it. I honestly thought it would happen a bit more.
@Steve
Kaline is somebody that always seems to come up in my research for doing something “unique’‘. Heck of a player.
@Ja4ed that is a good question, something that is hard to determine just from the data I had. Figuring that out is on the list.
Mat – could you possibly look at batted ball location for each of these to determine where it was fielded? i know that is in retrosheet, but not sure how far back it goes.
If you’re wondering how it happened, Lowrie hit a high pop-up to shallow left that seemed perfectly likely to be caught, but no one got there in time. When it landed, Iglesias had to run home, but he was out by a mile.