In the 1989 movie Major League, Hayes it at second base, and Taylor is at the plate. Taylor points to the outfield a la Babe Ruth, but instead, bunts. Taylor makes it safe to first, and as the ball is thrown to first, Hayes rounds third and slides home for the winning run.
Is this even possible? I’d expect Hayes to get rather easily thrown out at home.
It could happen I suppose, didn’t Hayes take off before the pitch? He could have been rounding 3rd before the third baseman even fielded the ball. However, the slowest player on the team and maybe the league, bunting with 2 outs in the 9th facing elimination would never happen. ever.
Cite?
Well, the fact that
… is about all the cite that can be provided to you.
I dunno, I think he could prolly have out run Sid Bream*, who theoretically could be playing in that universe…
*I think it is required by law to mention Francisco Cabrera and BRAVES WIN! anytime Sid’s name is posted.
I have to agree that the most unlikely part of that play is the old catcher with bad knees bunting in that situation and then beating the throw to first.
This is a some what similar play from earlier in the year. Brett Gardner, one of the fastest players in the AL, is on second base and almost scores on a bunt like play without the delay of a throw to first base or the advantage of knowing a play is “on” so he can start running with the delivery.
Moved to Cafe Society.
Worst pain I’ve ever felt as a sports fan. Thanks for the memories.
Good memory digging up that video!
I think the most improbable aspect of the Major League scene is Berringer’s character being able to lay down a perfect bunt from a regular batting stance. For the play to actually work, you have to get the third baseman on his heels, and the moment he shows bunt, the 3B is going to start leaning forward.
Anyone remember what the count was?
The entire movie was improbable. It was a comedy, not a documentary. So what difference does it make?
1-1, I think. First pitch was a strike, second pitch was a little chin-music. But I agree, the bunt was a bit much. But you do see the proper reactions from everybody. The third baseman swears and rocks forward, Hayes has already made it 50 feet towards third, and it times out ok. The throw from first actually beats Hayes to the plate, but it was off-line and the catcher couldn’t get the tag around in time.
In the global scheme of things, none. I was simply curious.
Here’s what’s unrealistic about the play.
Before a pitch is thrown, Jake (the catcher) signals to the manager what he has planned. Lou (the manager) says, “that isn’t a bad idea” and relays the signal to the third base coach, who then signals it to Wille (the runner on second). Willie acknowledges the signal with the swipe across his chest.
Then, Taylor does the pointy thing, at which point the pitcher knocks him down. BUT … Willie doesn’t move. Then on the next pitch, Willie takes off as soon as the pitcher throws – then Jake does the suprise bunt, and the rest is history.
The problem is, the signal to Willie from third would have been something along the lines of “Bunt - Hit and Run.” There is no way the third base coach signalled to Willie, “take off on the second pitch because Jake is going to pull a Bambino which will most certainly make the pitcher throw at his head … so, you know wait until that second pitch.”
[Mod Hat]Moved to The Game Room. The thread fits in either forum but the OP might get more comments from baseball fans here.[/Mod Hat]
I was going to say this would never ever happen, but Gardner almost beat that throw home and that’s a very similar play.
Most definitely possible. I remember back in 1986 I think, on two consecutive days, Mookie Wilson scored from second on slow infield grounders in the ninth to win the game. Not quite the same as bunting, but very similar in how the fielders will react and move.
If the batter sees that the third baseman was playing him deep, a good bunt down the line, just past the pitcher but not to the infield dirt, has a small chance of working (getting a single) for a slow runner. The runner is moving on any contact (not on the pitch) so he’ll have a good jump. No one is covering third, so he’s easily safe. To make it home, he’s got to make a big turn. A smart third baseman sees this, holds the ball, and saves the run if there is any chance at all of the batter being safe at first.
The main reason you don’t see this in professional baseball, IMO, is that there are very, very, very few good bunters. Mess up the bunt (too short, too close to the pitcher, etc.), it’s an easy out and game over.
If the runner in the movie was going on the pitch (a play on a suicide squeeze, which requires the runner to be on third), then only a bonehead third baseman makes the throw.
Jacoby Ellsbury scored from second on a wild pitch earlier this year. A fast guy who catches the defense unawares could pull it off.
In the fall of '89 at an Oakland A’s game I was attending, Rickey Henderson scored from second on a grounder up the middle. It as the bottom of the 9th and he was running on the play. I don’t recall whether he was waved home when the 3rd base coach saw the throw go to 1st but I would expect that Rickey probably guessed (correctly) that the defense would take the out and he just made the turn at 3rd and beat the throw home.
But wouldn’t “run on the 2nd pitch if the first pitch is a ball” be plausible?
No, because if he’s running he’s taking off when the pitcher is still in his wind-up. If he waits to make his jump until he knows whether the pitch was a ball or strike, he’ll get easily caught in a rundown between 1st and 2nd.