A 4-6-3 double play looked like it wrapped up Game One of the World Series, but a super slow-mo instant replay showed Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Cooper Pratt’s foot was off second base by a tiny bit. That single smidge scored a run for the Tampa Bay Rays and extended the game, turning what should have been a clean celebration into a nail-biting wait.
The Instant Replay That Stole the Celebration
Friday night’s ninth inning was pure chaos, man. The Brewers thought they had the win locked down with that double play, but nope. The review showed Pratt’s foot was just barely off the bag. It didn’t change the outcome, with the Brewers still snagging the 3-2 win, but it sucked all the immediate joy out of it. You can’t even genuinely celebrate a huge win anymore without holding your breath, waiting for the Jumbotron to confirm the call, or for some batter to tap his head for an ABS challenge. Seriously, how long until Joe Davis’s pre-planned, montage-ready call is on hold while we all stare at the centerfield screen? It makes you wonder, is this what the World Series really comes down to now?
The Ghost of the ‘Neighborhood Play’ Rises Again
This whole thing immediately brought back memories of how much the game has changed around second base over the last decade. Back in 2016, the play at second became reviewable, and slides got way more monitored. Before that, the middle infielder just needed to be “in the neighborhood” of the bag to get an out. We’re talking feet straddling the base, total leeway. The “neighborhood play” was a real thing, a colloquial term for the freedom given to infielders on a double play pivot. It wasn’t in the rulebook, but everyone knew if you were close, you got the out. Why? Safety, pure and simple. It let the pivot man get out of the way of oncoming baserunners before they got taken out.
When Baseball Was Wild: 1977 ALCS Reminders
And if you want to talk wild, rewind a quarter-century. Things were absolutely insane back then! Just imagine this being legal: In Game 2 of the 1977 ALCS, George Brett for the Royals hits a ground ball with runners on first and second. The throw goes to second to start a double play. Yankee second baseman Willie Randolph tries to turn, and Hal McRae just bowls him over. Randolph is literally rolling into left field, the ball drops, but the runner is out on the transfer, and the tying run for the Royals scores. Billy Martin protested, but the umpires didn’t care one bit. If you haven’t seen that highlight, you need to find it, it’s a must watch. Back in “The Neighborhood Play” days, you could probably even run over and concuss the catcher at home plate. It was probably for the b
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Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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