Watching the ball drop isn’t just a New Year’s tradition — it’s also a common occurrence in Major League Baseball.
Outfielders and infielders alike flub routine plays, resulting in wild walk-offs and comedy gold.
Before we ring in the new year, let’s revisit some of the most infamous ball drops in baseball history.
Hawkins Makes (Dubious) History
Poor Andy Hawkins.
The Yankees hurler was credited with throwing a no-hitter…in a game he lost.
Hawkins’s misfortune can be attributed to shoddy defense by the Yankees outfield. On July 1, 1990, Hawkins took a no-no into the eighth inning at Chicago’s Comiskey Park. Though Hawkins never surrendered a hit, he loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth thanks to a third-base error and two walks. That’s when it all unraveled for Hawkins and the Yanks; rookie Jim Leyritz dropped a fly ball in left field, and on the very next play, right fielder Jesse Barfield lost a ball in the sun for another error.
Four White Sox runs scored in the inning — none of them earned. Hawkins was initially credited with a no-hitter, but that scoring has since been changed. In 1991, Major League Baseball changed its requirements for a no-hitter, ruling that a pitcher must throw at least 9 innings. Since Hawkins only completed 8 frames, his achievement is not recognized in MLB’s official record books.
Brant Brown’s Boner
The Cubs were tied with the Mets in the Wild Card standings with three games left in the 1998 season.
In their September 23rd game against the Brewers, the Cubbies held a two-run lead in the ninth inning. Chicago closer Rod Beck faced Geoff Jenkins with the bases loaded and two outs, and the game appeared to be over when Jenkins lofted a fly ball just short of the warning track.
Cubs left fielder Brant Brown failed to secure the ball, and three Brewers runners came in to score, resulting in an 8-7 victory for the Brew Crew. Ironically, Brown initially entered the game as a defensive replacement for Glenallen Hill. As devastating as the loss could have been for the Cubs, it didn’t stop them from reaching the postseason. Chicago won a one-game tiebreaker for the Wild Card, only to be swept by the Braves in the first round of the playoffs.
Luis Castillo’s Catastrophe
Like so many Mets fans, I am still traumatized by this incident.
The 2009 Mets were a dumpster fire, an absolute abomination of a baseball team. Second baseman Luis Castillo was one of the few bright spots for that club, but even he couldn’t avoid a moment of utter humiliation.
In the opener of a three-game series in the Bronx, the normally sure-handed Castillo — a three-time Gold Glove winner — dropped a routine pop up that should have been the final out of the game. The Yankee runners on first and second came around to score, allowing the Pinstripers to steal a win from their crosstown rivals.
If you ever wonder why Mets fans have trust issues, rewatch Castillo’s Bronx blunder. It’s just one of the many late-inning leads the Amazin’s have blown in epic fashion.
Josh Hamilton’s Disastrous Drop
The Oakland A’s didn’t secure their AL West crown until the very last day of the 2012 regular season. Oakland had trailed the Rangers by 13 games at the end of June, only to erase that deficit with a shocking second-half turnaround — from July 1st onward, the A’s had the best record in baseball at 57-26.
The A’s could not have completed their Cinderella story without a little bit of help. With the division title at stake, Oakland played the Rangers in game #162, which took place at the Coliseum in Oakland. The winner of the contest would punch their ticket to the Division Series, while the loser would settle for a Wild Card berth and face the threat of a “one and done” postseason appearance.
The Rangers took an early 5-1 lead, but the A’s came storming back in the bottom of the fourth. After tying the score at 5, Yoenis Cespedes hit a shallow fly ball to center field that, in normal circumstances, would have ended the inning. Instead, the ball ricocheted off the glove of Josh Hamilton, two runs scored, and the A’s took the lead for good.
The Rangers, seemingly disheartened by their pitiful performance, went on to be eliminated by the Orioles in the Wild Card Game.
Watch the play here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5Fx4z0V2mY
The Friars Flub Bregman’s Bloop
Baseball is a beautiful game, but sometimes it’s just plain silly.
Here’s a nugget from the past few years that defies explanation: the first walk-off RBI of Alex Bregman’s career came on a pop up that never even reached the pitcher’s mound.
An April game between the Padres and Astros was deadlocked at 0-0 in the tenth inning. It would have remained scoreless into the 11th, if not for miscommunication between Padres infielders. Alex Bregman hit a jam shot just a few feet away from home plate, and against all odds, it failed to find a glove. Pitcher Robbie Erlin pointed to the ball, but it was first baseman Eric Hosmer who came closest to making the play. The ball dropped behind the charging Hosmer, and Derek Fisher scampered home with the winning run for the Astros.
If you can believe it, Bregman’s pop up — which came off the bat at 83 MPH with a 78 degree launch angle — registered a 0% hit probability on Statcast.
In the words of John Sterling, “How do you predict baseball?”
Searle’s Final Say
Baseball players, who are prideful by nature, hate losing games because of errors. But while the players may be embarrassed by these bloopers, missed catches remind us that even world-class athletes mess up on occasion. As we celebrate a new year, let us remember to learn from our mistakes, and to exercise patience when those around us come up short.
