Biggest Error

[Williamsburg2599]

What do you think the biggest blooper in History is, weither it be a Manager's,Player's, Fan's, umpire's owner's, or other baseball persons mistake?

[Myankee4life]

-Babe Ruth trade
-Buckner's error in '86
- Alex Gonzalez error in the '03 ALCS ( Bartman game)

[RedSoxVT92]

Billy Buckner is a big one. Although I feel bad for him even though it was a horrible mistake. And it wasnt completley his fault the management could also be to blame for their desisions.

[Brian McKenna]

Originally Posted by RedSoxVT92

Billy Buckner is a big one. Although I feel bad for him even though it was a horrible mistake. And it wasnt completley his fault the management could also be to blame for their desisions.

that is just a fielding error - buckner is no more to blame than any other major leaguer who has made an error in his career

[Brian McKenna]

new york highlander owners frank farrell and bill devery figured their season was lost so they scheduled a football game between columbia university and williams college on 10/8/1904 at hilltop park - problem was they were due to host a doubleheader - well the season came down to the last five games - a showdown with the boston americans - the first yankee-red sox chase for the pennnant - new york was behind boston .5 games going into the first game on 10/7 - they won and reversed the standings - the teams had to travel to boston to play two on the 8th - they dropped both - back to new york for a doubleheader on the 10th - highlanders dropped the first game and it was over

[Bench 5]

How about the Merkle boner?

[Williamsburg2599]

Originally Posted by Bench 5

How about the Merkle boner?

yes i should of put that and also the "Disco Demo. Night @ Comiskey" but the max. amount of choices is 12

[Erik Bedard]

AND you could have put Lonnie Smith's... well, whatever the heck that was in 1991.

[RedSoxVT92]

Originally Posted by bkmckenna

that is just a fielding error - buckner is no more to blame than any other major leaguer who has made an error in his career

Yes, but this is in the world series, when you have to be at your best. This may be a fielding error but it was the worst time to get a blunder esspecially losing it between the legs. That is a bigger error than an error made in a regular season game.

[Williamsburg2599]

Originally Posted by bkmckenna

that is just a fielding error - buckner is no more to blame than any other major leaguer who has made an error in his career

your obviously not a Red soxs fan then, every time i see that ball go through his legs, feels like im getting slapped in the face.

[Jestre]

If you use as a base how much the error impacted the perception and future infamy of the player involved I would rate the top three as:

1- Bill Buckner's botched grounder
2- Fred Merkle's failure to touch 2nd
3- Fred Snodgrass dropped fly ball in the 1912 World Series

[Bill Burgess]

The Cincinnati Reds unloading Frank Robinson to the Baltimore Orioles for the 1967 season. Reds thought Frank was declining. Frank won the triple crown and had the season of his career.

Reds GM was laughing stock of baseball.

Bill

[Imapotato]

Originally Posted by Bench 5

How about the Merkle boner?

My thoughts exactly

Or Fred Snodgrass' muff

or I think, it was Freddie Lindstrom that the ball hit a rock in the IF?

[Pghfan987]

Bill Buckner would not have botched that ball if the Red Sox had not sold Ruth over 60 years prior.

Mark

Originally Posted by RedSoxVT92

Yes, but this is in the world series, when you have to be at your best. This may be a fielding error but it was the worst time to get a blunder esspecially losing it between the legs. That is a bigger error than an error made in a regular season game.

Would there have been a play at first if Buckner made the pick-up? I don't remember if the pitcher came over to take a throw to first. If Buckner had to make the play, I don't think the game would have ended any differently.

[Sultan_1895-1948]

Originally Posted by wamby

Would there have been a play at first if Buckner made the pick-up? I don't remember if the pitcher came over to take a throw to first. If Buckner had to make the play, I don't think the game would have ended any differently.

I don't think Buckner would have beat Mookie to the bag, but at least if he makes the play, Knight doesn't score from second, right? Or was he on third?

[Yankee Legend]

Fan robs Alou

Can you really call this an error? I mean we are talking about mistakes made by players, managers, owners, etc. right?? I mean I don't think a fan catching a foul ball is really considered an error (even if that was no ordinary foul ball).

[digglahhh]

Originally Posted by Sultan_1895-1948

I don't think Buckner would have beat Mookie to the bag, but at least if he makes the play, Knight doesn't score from second, right? Or was he on third?

He scored from second.

[Williamsburg2599]

Originally Posted by Yankee Legend

Fan robs Alou

Can you really call this an error? I mean we are talking about mistakes made by players, managers, owners, etc. right?? I mean I don't think a fan catching a foul ball is really considered an error (even if that was no ordinary foul ball).

Whell I also put fans above, but I do think he shouldnt of caught the ball if Alou had a chance to catch it ALTHOUGH I do relize that me and most of the people here would of done the same thing as him and he probabily didnt relize the signifigance of the play.

[yanks0714]

Originally Posted by Bench 5

How about the Merkle boner?

No way. Merkle didn't do anything that players hadn't been doing for years in the same situation.

A game that important and the Umpire changes the way they've been not calling that play.

Give Johnny Evers credit for thinking on the play.

Of course, there is still some suspicion that the ball that was used eventually for the forceout wasn't even the game ball.

A great book to read on it is 'More Than Merkle' by David W. Anderson.

[yanks0714]

Originally Posted by Imapotato

My thoughts exactly

Or Fred Snodgrass' muff

or I think, it was Freddie Lindstrom that the ball hit a rock in the IF?

Snodgrass' muff was inexcusable. He made a great running catch on the next hitter I think to save and extra base hit. But the damage was done to his reputation with that muff.

Didn't that happen to Lindstrom not once but twice in the Series? maybe the same darn game.

Another Giants gaffe was Tris Speakers pop-up in foul territory on the 1B side. Three Giants, the P, 1B, and C all had a shot at it...nobody caught it. Speaker, given a second chance, comes through with a clutch hit.

[yanks0714]

Originally Posted by Sultan_1895-1948

I don't think Buckner would have beat Mookie to the bag, but at least if he makes the play, Knight doesn't score from second, right? Or was he on third?

Buckner couldn't run! Doesn't anyone remember him limping all through the Series?

The BoSox Manager blew that one. He should have put Dave Stapleton in at 1B for defense especially in consideration that Buckner was hurting and could barely move.

Plus the BoSox relief corps (remember Bob Stanley?) had to take some of the blame as well.

[yanks0714]

Somebody tell me the story of Edd Roush's cat nap? I'm not sure I've ever heard this one.

I accidently voted for Babe Ruth being thrown out trying to steal. It looked bad but probably was a reasonable play. Alexander was shutting the Yanks down. Ruth figures it will take two hits get him (Bob Meusel was AB with a young Lou Gehrig due up next) in so he tried to get in scoring position. How often do we see the catcher let that runner take second without a throw?

When asked about it, Ruth supposedly said he figured the Cards had or would forget about him at first.

[Williamsburg2599]

Originally Posted by yanks0714

Somebody tell me the story of Edd Roush's cat nap? I'm not sure I've ever heard this one.

I accidently voted for Babe Ruth being thrown out trying to steal. It looked bad but probably was a reasonable play. Alexander was shutting the Yanks down. Ruth figures it will take two hits get him (Bob Meusel was AB with a young Lou Gehrig due up next) in so he tried to get in scoring position. How often do we see the catcher let that runner take second without a throw?

When asked about it, Ruth supposedly said he figured the Cards had or would forget about him at first.

a book of mine talks about Roush's nap, it says it happond on June 8th 1920 at the polo grounds in a game between the Reds and the giants.Turns out Umpire Barry McCormack made a questionable call about weither a ball was fair or foul in the eight inning,and the Reds went crazy.As the infielders ran over to argue the call, Roush who had no intentions to join the argument, placed his glove and cap on the ground as a pellow and took a quick nap.As the argument ended and the umpire declared "play ball", everyone was set, except for Roush who was still deep asleep in CF. The entire Reds team began to shout at him to wake up, as long as the fans, but he didnt budge.Finnaly third baseman Heinie Grosh ran out and woke him with a shake. The first thing he saw when he woke up was McCormack throwing him out of the game,which started another argument. You have to wonder how someone falls asleep in front of 35,000+ fans
source:Baseball Bloopers by Bill Gutman

From what the book says about Ruth's steal,he was never given any signs from the coach, Its a little known fact that Ruth actully lost a WS for the yankees as whell as winning a few too

[Sultan_1895-1948]

Originally Posted by kckid2599

From what the book says about Ruth's steal,he was never given any signs from the coach, Its a little known fact that Ruth actully lost a WS for the yankees as whell as winning a few too

No signs, you're correct. On the surface it seems like a boneheaded play, and you could certainly still make an argument, even if you look deeper, that he shouldn't have done it.

That World Series was a true gem. It's a shame it ended that way.

Had Lazzeri come through in the seventh with the bases loaded, or if the ball didn't hook just foul, none of this would be talked about.

Had Babe gotten out with two outs in the ninth, instead of walking, none of this would be talked about.

By all accounts Alexander was in rare form. After getting out of the seventh inning situation, he cruised through the eighth no problem, and got the first two guys in the 9th before he walked Ruth.

Babe was hoping to catch them off guard. With 2 outs and the tying run on first, the first baseman had to be holding him on, but Babe stealing had to be the last thing on Pete's mind. Or the catcher's mind. Had that pitch been a curveball, maybe he slides in safe, they intentionally walk Meusel, and Gehrig hits a three run homer to end the series. Maybe, what if, could have, would have. Didn't happen that way. It was a calculated gamble. The chances of them getting two hits in a row off Pete in that situation was slim to none. Slimmer than the chances of Babe catching everyone off guard and sliding in safe. So it was definately a gamble.

His hitting in the series wasn't bad. You could say that without him, they might not have been in a game 7, but who knows. He only had two singles in his first ten AB. The Cards were pitching him very carefully. He walked 11 times in the series. As a hitter, it's difficult to stay patient and take what they give you, especially when they're not giving you a whole lot to work with.

Babe seemed to take a more aggressive approach, and came alive in game 4 hitting the first pitch to him in the first for a homer. The first pitch in the third for a homer. And with a 3-2 count in the sixth, he hit the longest homer ever in St. Louis. Yanks won that day and the next, so they were up 3-2 and the Cards eventually tied it at 3 games a piece, thanks to Alexander's right arm.