Other Sports Best catch of the year? MLB [Archive]

suzzer99

06-27-2012, 10:04 PM

The best catch I've ever seen was Brian McCrae vs. Pat Kelley in like 1993. I wish someone would ever find that.

Top of the 9th - royals were already down by 3 - bases loaded 2 outs. Pat Kelley hits a screamer to the gap that's tailing away - some how McCrae twists his body and catches the thing completely laid out facing mostly away from the plate.

Royals end up scoring 4 in the bottom of the inning to win - I think on a grand slam. Possibly by Mike McFarlane.

Edit: ok here it is. Naturally I had a lot wrong: http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA199304150.shtml

It was at Yankees stadium not Kaufman, and the Royals were down by 4 at the end of the inning. But scored 5 to win. Sad that the only note for McCrae's catch is: b8 4-0 2 123 9,(2-2) O NYY P. Kelly F. DiPino 0% 1% Flyball: CF

Edit edit: hah! Google has an article cached:

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1908&dat=19930415&id=1NQhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BJ8FAAAAIBAJ&pg=1643,786119

Carlota69

06-27-2012, 10:15 PM

No. Media loves sucking that kids cock though.

Thats funny. He's 20 years old and is leading the league in hitting (.340 I believe after tonight) stolen bases (19 or 20 after tonight), and is in the top 5 in a few other categories. He post the fastest time from home to 1st from the right side in the MLB and since he has come along, The Angels have turned their season around. Not sure he gets all the credit, but he has been quite the spark plug.

The media isnt sucking his cock, he's slapping their face with it.

Not sure about best catch of year since theres still more year to go, but its one of the best thus far at the very least...

And tonight, I bet both MLB network and ESPN have it as their top play. NO DOUBTER.

mr. tegu

06-27-2012, 10:17 PM

Nice catch but hardly the best.

jd1020

06-27-2012, 10:17 PM

Not sure how anything can surpass the Yankee going into the stands after a ball, not catching it, but yet... catching it.

Shogun

06-27-2012, 10:20 PM

Thats funny. He's 20 years old and is leading the league in hitting (.340 I believe after tonight) stolen bases (19 or 20 after tonight), and is in the top 5 in a few other categories. He post the fastest time from home to 1st from the right side in the MLB and since he has come along, The Angels have turned their season around. Not sure he gets all the credit, but he has been quite the spark plug.

The media isnt sucking his cock, he's slapping their face with it.

Not sure about best catch of year since theres still more year to go, but its one of the best thus far at the very least...

And tonight, I bet both MLB network and ESPN have it as their top play. NO DOUBTER.

No, they love to suck his cock. They were doing it way before he did shit.

Carlota69

06-27-2012, 10:20 PM

Not sure how anything can surpass the Yankee going into the stands after a ball, not catching it, but yet... catching it.

That was magician like. Really hard to top that play. Probably wont see a play quite like that again...:doh!:

Carlota69

06-27-2012, 10:22 PM

No, they love to suck his cock. They were doing it way before he did shit.
I think you have him and Bryce Harper confused...You know Harper, "The Chosen One" on the cover of SI at the age of 16...that guy. I think thats who you are talking about.

beach tribe

06-27-2012, 10:24 PM

White men can't jump?
This guy begs to differ.

Jenson71

06-27-2012, 10:29 PM

Would have been better if he did two somersaults after.

Carlota69

06-27-2012, 10:32 PM

http://losangeles.angels.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_06_27_anamlb_balmlb_1&highlight_content_id=22643503&c_id=ana

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/social/Trout-color-catch.gif

The coolest part of this catch? If you look to the left the people in red, wearing Angels #27 Tshirts, are his friends from back home. They got to see their childhood friend make that catch in the front row so to speak.

SPchief

06-28-2012, 01:14 AM

Nice catch. But if that's a 7' wall, then that kid is as short as Tim collins

Dayze

06-30-2012, 01:56 AM

photoshopped.

Carlota69

06-30-2012, 07:49 AM

photoshopped.
ROFL riiiiight...

Lex Luthor

06-30-2012, 07:52 AM

Not sure how anything can surpass the Yankee going into the stands after a ball, not catching it, but yet... catching it.
Meh. Mitch Maier did the same thing a couple of weeks ago when he fell over the fence into foul territory, picked up the ball off the ground, showed it to the umpire, and got the call.

Carlota69

06-30-2012, 07:54 AM

Meh. Mitch Maier did the same thing a couple of weeks ago when he fell over the fence into foul territory, picked up the ball off the ground, showed it to the umpire, and got the call.
And yet another reason umpires need to be held accountable, but not having the ball at all and still getting the call is pretty amazing.

|Zach|

06-30-2012, 08:05 AM

Meh. Mitch Maier did the same thing a couple of weeks ago when he fell over the fence into foul territory, picked up the ball off the ground, showed it to the umpire, and got the call.

Not the same.

Lex Luthor

06-30-2012, 08:25 AM

Not the same.
You're right, the two incidents are nothing like each other. In one case the LEFT fielder tricked the umpire, but in the other case it was the RIGHT fielder. Totally different.

|Zach|

06-30-2012, 08:26 AM

You're right, the two incidents are nothing like each other. In one case the LEFT fielder tricked the umpire, but in the other case it was the RIGHT fielder. Totally different.

The absense of the ball that is used to play the game does in fact make that happening completely different.

Your example happens all the time.

Chief Roundup

06-30-2012, 08:42 AM

Would be suprised if that made it into the top 10.

DTHOF

06-30-2012, 09:26 AM

If you are just counting catches it is pretty good but Escobar has made more amazing plays than that including a catch a few weeks back.

Carlota69

06-30-2012, 09:52 AM

If you are just counting catches it is pretty good but Escobar has made more amazing plays than that including a catch a few weeks back.

If Escobar makes catches like or has better plays than that on a consistent basis, lets see them, including the one for a few weeks ago. Not saying you are wrong, I just really want to see them and see if they are better from an athletic stance. Trouts catch is pretty amazing. best of the year? There's more year to go, so I think thats premature. One of the best so far this year? Yes. And so far according to MLB.com its the best play for June. But if Escobar can top it, Id like to see.

In58men

06-30-2012, 10:11 AM

I think diving catches are far more difficult to pull off than jumping straight into the air.

stonedstooge

06-30-2012, 10:13 AM

Frenchy's catch at the wall last year would rival the one shown. I don't know how to present video clips. Any help?

Carlota69

06-30-2012, 10:40 AM

Frenchy's catch at the wall last year would rival the one shown. I don't know how to present video clips. Any help?

I think the discussion is about this year. I'd like to see Frenchys catch tho.:thumb:

Carlota69

06-30-2012, 10:41 AM

I think diving catches are far more difficult to pull off than jumping straight into the air.

Curious why you think that. Vertical leaps,especially while also going back are something you dont see too often. Diving catches are fairly more common and dont require the ability to jump really high.

-King-

06-30-2012, 11:21 AM

If Escobar makes catches like or has better plays than that on a consistent basis, lets see them, including the one for a few weeks ago. Not saying you are wrong, I just really want to see them and see if they are better from an athletic stance. Trouts catch is pretty amazing. best of the year? There's more year to go, so I think thats premature. One of the best so far this year? Yes. And so far according to MLB.com its the best play for June. But if Escobar can top it, Id like to see.

This isn't the play of the year so far. Any diving catch is better than an over the wall grab IMO
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Nickel D

06-30-2012, 11:45 AM

That's better than any ball grabber in a Thai tranny tavern.

In58men

06-30-2012, 12:00 PM

Curious why you think that. Vertical leaps,especially while also going back are something you dont see too often. Diving catches are fairly more common and dont require the ability to jump really high.

Which takes more athleticism to pull off? A diving catch or a vertical leap? It has to be a diving catch. You can use football for example, when a player makes a diving catch it gets more praise than a catch in the air. When you're running and jump your body goes backwards, it's pretty simple to accomplish.

mcaj22

06-30-2012, 12:21 PM

Which takes more athleticism to pull off? A diving catch or a vertical leap? It has to be a diving catch. You can use football for example, when a player makes a diving catch it gets more praise than a catch in the air. When you're running and jump your body goes backwards, it's pretty simple to accomplish.

poor example, pretty sure 2 seasons ago every Chiefs fan on this forum and the planet was praising Tony Moeaki's VERTICAL catch in the end zone as more praise than any bozo diving around in the dirt.

a vertical leap takes way more athleticism.

-King-

06-30-2012, 12:29 PM

poor example, pretty sure 2 seasons ago every Chiefs fan on this forum and the planet was praising Tony Moeaki's VERTICAL catch in the end zone as more praise than any bozo diving around in the dirt.

a vertical leap takes way more athleticism.

Yeah, the praise had more to do with catching it with 1 hand and getting both feet in than it did the vertical jump.
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milkman

06-30-2012, 12:32 PM

poor example, pretty sure 2 seasons ago every Chiefs fan on this forum and the planet was praising Tony Moeaki's VERTICAL catch in the end zone as more praise than any bozo diving around in the dirt.

a vertical leap takes way more athleticism.

Not only that, but a ball hit over your head, near the wall is more difficult to trck than a ball that you chase to the side and to the front of you.

You have to be aware of where you are in reltion to the wall even as you are racing toward that wall and then you have to time your leap perfectly.

There is no room for even the most minor error.

There is no way in hell that a diving catch is more difficult, or more impressive.

-King-

06-30-2012, 01:05 PM

Not only that, but a ball hit over your head, near the wall is more difficult to trck than a ball that you chase to the side and to the front of you.

You have to be aware of where you are in reltion to the wall even as you are racing toward that wall and then you have to time your leap perfectly.

There is no room for even the most minor error.

There is no way in hell that a diving catch is more difficult, or more impressive.

You have to time your leap even more perfectly when you're diving. It takes a lot more effort and timing to dive laterally than it does to jump vertically. And it takes especially good range and speed.

I mean shit, the walls at yankees stadium are 8 feet. That means that even without jumping, a players arms reach over the wall. That doesn't impress me that much. It's still a good catch, but it's just like any other over the wall catch to me.

In58men

06-30-2012, 01:11 PM

Yeah, the praise had more to do with catching it with 1 hand and getting both feet in than it did the vertical jump.
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This

chefsos

06-30-2012, 01:14 PM

I think the over the wall catch gets some extra points over the diving catch due to the circumstances, moreso than the athleticism or the difficulty of it.

The diving catch prevents a hit, maybe a double or occasionally triple, while going over the wall directly and immediately takes away a score.

suzzer99

06-30-2012, 02:31 PM

So no one else remembers the McRae catch?

mcaj22

06-30-2012, 03:10 PM

Yeah, the praise had more to do with catching it with 1 hand and getting both feet in than it did the vertical jump.
Posted via Mobile Device

isnt that exactly what this video is being "praised" for also?

the vertical leap involving catching an even smaller ball traveling at a faster and higher rate and using "1 hand" and getting the ball and the glove back inside the field of play for the out?

Same concept.

-King-

06-30-2012, 04:07 PM

isnt that exactly what this video is being "praised" for also?

the vertical leap involving catching an even smaller ball traveling at a faster and higher rate and using "1 hand" and getting the ball and the glove back inside the field of play for the out?

Same concept.

Lol not even close. Catching and controlling a circle baseball with one GLOVE is infinitely easier than catching and controlling an oblong football.

Carlota69

07-01-2012, 08:36 AM

Which takes more athleticism to pull off? A diving catch or a vertical leap? It has to be a diving catch. You can use football for example, when a player makes a diving catch it gets more praise than a catch in the air. When you're running and jump your body goes backwards, it's pretty simple to accomplish.
Then why in Athletic testing do they test ones ability to vertical jump and not the ability to dive? Also, why do you see more dives in highlight reels then vertical catches such as this one? Because the dive is more common due to it being a little bit easier as someone mentioned.

Carlota69

07-01-2012, 08:40 AM

Lol not even close. Catching and controlling a circle baseball with one GLOVE is infinitely easier than catching and controlling an oblong football.
Not disagreeing that catching a football with one hand is very difficult..and Im not saying its harder or easier...

But, in this case, do you see the ball almost come out and him hold onto it while he is hitting the wall at mid torso level and landing on one foot from a very high jump? IN baseball, thats very hard to do. And I find it funny that a bunch of people here are like"meh" about this catch and how perdestrian it is when Professional baseball players and the MLB itself is praising it. I think the players understand the difficulty of this paticular type of catch, over a "see it every single day" diving catch.

DTHOF

07-01-2012, 08:41 AM

This is better

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=22314123&c_id=kc

-King-

07-01-2012, 08:46 AM

Then why in Athletic testing do they test ones ability to vertical jump and not the ability to dive? Also, why do you see more dives in highlight reels then vertical catches such as this one? Because the dive is more common due to it being a little bit easier as someone mentioned.

Diving is not more common. People jump vertically every single day. I cant remember the last time I dove.

And they don't test dive because for the most part, again, its not common. An athlete will jump vertically 100 times before they dive once.

And my definition of a dive is both feet have to be off the ground when the ball is caught. The majority of "dives" you see in baseball highlight are just players extending to the ball. They never really dive.

Now the true diving catches, now those are beautiful pieces of athleticism.
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Carlota69

07-01-2012, 08:53 AM

Diving is not more common. People jump vertically every single day. I cant remember the last time I dove.

And they don't test dive because for the most part, again, its not common. An athlete will jump vertically 100 times before they dive once.

And my definition of a dive is both feet have to be off the ground when the ball is caught. The majority of "dives" you see in baseball highlight are just players extending to the ball. They never really dive.

Now the true diving catches, now those are beautiful pieces of athleticism.
Posted via Mobile Device
Not disagreeing that a true diving catch is awesome, but we see diving catches on Sportscenter everyday during baseball season, and catches like Trouts are very uncommon. Again, why is the entire baseball profession praising it? Cuz they know how incredibly difficult and how much athelticism a catch like that one takes.

And Ilike how you are comparing everyday people to athletes when it comes to jumping or diving. Of course you dont dive for anything and yes we jump more often, but come on. They test for the vertical jump and not the dive in athletics because how high you can jump is a skill. Diving is a skill as well but not quite as highly regarded when it comes to athletics.

ShowtimeSBMVP

08-12-2012, 01:26 PM

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=23840187&c_id=tor&partnerId=aw-7639805193538691666-996

Wow

Rain Man

08-12-2012, 01:46 PM

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=23840187&c_id=tor&partnerId=aw-7639805193538691666-996

Wow

That may be the best baseball play I've ever seen. Wow.

Lex Luthor

08-12-2012, 02:13 PM

That may be the best baseball play I've ever seen. Wow.

This is the best play I've ever seen.

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Demonpenz

08-12-2012, 02:35 PM

This is the best play I've ever seen.

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I was at that game. There was a loud ovation from the royals fans. David Howard had a nice throw in from the outfield as well.

stevenidol

08-12-2012, 02:54 PM

That may be the best baseball play I've ever seen. Wow.

Best catch of the year for sure. How tall are the walls at Rogers Centre? Has to be 10-12 feet.

Rain Man

08-12-2012, 02:58 PM

Best catch of the year for sure. How tall are the walls at Rogers Centre? Has to be 10-12 feet.

I don't know the height, but I specifically watched to see how high the guy went to get it, and he was up with a nice vertical. Pretty darn athletic for a baseball player.

chefsos

08-12-2012, 03:26 PM

Yeah, You could see Davis knew exactly what he was going to do when he slowed up and got his timing right, then dug those spikes (I guess. Turf shoes?) into the wall to get up over it. That looks like a 12' fence, easily.

I'm kind of wondering why more guys don't do that. Obviously, though, the circumstances have to be right, and you don't want to Griffey your ankle by hitting the wall too fast or at an angle.