Miguel Cabrera put himself in a precarious position while playing first base during Tuesday night's Detroit Tigers game against the Chicago Cubs as a pickoff throw was thrown in his direction while he didn't have his glove on.
It happened in the first inning after Cubs leadoff hitter Dexter Fowler reached first on a single. Tigers pitcher Anibal Sanchez threw over to first base, but Cabrera was holding his glove in his left hand instead of wearing it on his right.
So what did Cabrera do? The only thing he could think of, which was to throw his glove at the ball to knock it down.
Cabrera got really lucky, as the ball bounced off the wall and right back to him, allowing him to recover and throw the ball to second in time for the out as Fowler tried to advance.
As luck would have it, the play by Cabrera was illegal, so he was even more lucky that the umpire didn't see his glove make contact with the ball after he threw it. According to MLB rules, Fowler should have been awarded two bases on the play:
Unfortunately, the Cubs also missed it, so there was no appeal. It could have cost them a run, as Chris Coghlan hit a home run later in the inning that would have driven Fowler home.
Between Cabrera, the first base umpire, and the Cubs coaches, it looks like there's a lot of people who should have been paying closer attention on this play.
Video via MLB. H/T LBS.
It happened in the first inning after Cubs leadoff hitter Dexter Fowler reached first on a single. Tigers pitcher Anibal Sanchez threw over to first base, but Cabrera was holding his glove in his left hand instead of wearing it on his right.
So what did Cabrera do? The only thing he could think of, which was to throw his glove at the ball to knock it down.
Cabrera got really lucky, as the ball bounced off the wall and right back to him, allowing him to recover and throw the ball to second in time for the out as Fowler tried to advance.
As luck would have it, the play by Cabrera was illegal, so he was even more lucky that the umpire didn't see his glove make contact with the ball after he threw it. According to MLB rules, Fowler should have been awarded two bases on the play:
Rule 7.05(e) states: Each runner including the batter-runner may, without liability to be put out, advance two bases, if a fielder deliberately throws his glove at and touches a thrown ball.
Unfortunately, the Cubs also missed it, so there was no appeal. It could have cost them a run, as Chris Coghlan hit a home run later in the inning that would have driven Fowler home.
Between Cabrera, the first base umpire, and the Cubs coaches, it looks like there's a lot of people who should have been paying closer attention on this play.
Video via MLB. H/T LBS.
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
