Talk:Merkle Bonehead Play

single most prominent incident? --Just me 15:01, 16 July 2006 (EDT)

Possibly, but also possibly too much hyperbole. I try to aim at understatement in my article instead of a sweeping comment like that and would advise against such a call. - --Mischa 15:04, 16 July 2006 (EDT)

Wow - you guys are quick. Hey, I could swear I remember reading that the guy on third base was Laughing Larry Doyle, and that the outfielder who picked up the ball was Wildfire Frank Schulte, but all the accounts on the web seem to disagree . . . - Randy

"one of the most prominent incidents" is better --Just me 15:15, 16 July 2006 (EDT)

OK, I do understand the desire not to engage in too much personal opinionating. Actually, I'm trying to compare the Play to other unusual incidents such as the Pine Tar Incident, not to plays like the Willie Mays 1954 Series catch, etc. The word "incident" is not a good one, therefore. - Randy

I'm not one for adding categories... but would one for famous plays be appropriate? Merkle, Mays' catch, Hartnett's Homer, Thompson's homer, etc. --Just me 19:05, 16 July 2006 (EDT)

Fourth Out Play

What I love about the Merkle Play is not the play itself, but all the stuff that happened around the play, and the fact that so many Hall of Famers were involved. Whereas, with the other plays you mention, it's the play itself that has the central focus. The Merkle Play in that sense is much more like the Pine Tar Incident, where the home run itself was not nearly as big a deal as Billy Martin arguing afterwards and the photo of George Brett going absolutely ape-shit when the homer was disallowed. In the same category might be added the time around 1980 when there were almost four outs in an inning (I don't know if that incident even has a name?) - a Phillies hitter hit a fly ball with one out, it was caught by an outfielder (for out # 2), and the runner on third tagged and crossed the plate. The runner on first tried to tag and go to second but was caught in a run-down (for out # 3), and then the team in the field thought about throwing the ball to third base, because it seemed as though the runner hadn't properly tagged up before crossing the plate. The ump had not yet called it a score at home plate precisely because the runner had not tagged properly. Luckily, the team in the field didn't throw to 3rd base, or the ump (as he recalled later) would have called a 4th out. The run was therefore counted. I understand the rules were later changed to allow for a throw to 3rd to disallow a run if the player didn't tag, but the rules would not call it an out. Anyone else know this incident, and if so, could we give it a formal name? Anyway, see the difference between the kinds of incidents where the play is central, and where the play is not nearly central to what's actually going on? - Randy. Sometime in the evening, 7/16/06, and if someone will tell me how to just post the time, I thank you.

We could call it "The Inning With the Fourth Out (almost)". See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourth_out - Randy

I've added the article, and called it the Fourth Out Play. I've categorized it under Strange Plays. - Randy 18:15 21 August 2006 (EDT)