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Features The Most Incredible Play In Jays History
Going through Jesse Barfield's double plays on Retrosheet for a research project, Craig B came across this now-forgotten gem in the game log...


Game Played on Tuesday, July 9, 1985 (N) at Kingdome
Starting Lineups:

   Toronto Blue Jays             Seattle Mariners         
1. Garcia              2b        Reynolds            2b
2. Moseby              cf        Bradley             lf
3. Burroughs           dh        Davis               1b
4. Bell                lf        G. Thomas           dh
5. Barfield            rf        Cowens              rf
6. Martinez            c         Henderson           cf
7. Upshaw              1b        Presley             3b
8. Iorg                3b        Kearney             c
9. Fernandez           ss        Owen                ss

On the mound were Tom Filer for Toronto and Matt Young for the Mariners.

(Jesse Barfield already had thrown Jim Presley out at the plate in the 2nd)

MARINERS 3RD: 

Bradley singled; 

Davis made an out to center;

Filer balked [Bradley to second]; 

G. Thomas singled to right [Bradley out at home (right to catcher), G. Thomas out at home
(catcher to left to catcher]; Martinez breaks ankle on collision at plate; Thomas takes 
3b on throw; Martinez (on ground) throws into lf; Bell throws home and Martinez makes catch
and tag while seated.

0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Blue Jays 0, Mariners 0.

That was a pretty good play!  Any other suggestions or memories of great plays?
Posted by Bruce Wrigley on Tuesday, September 05 2006 @ 10:52 PM EDT.
The Most Incredible Play In Jays History | 21 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Gerry - Tuesday, September 05 2006 @ 11:21 PM EDT (#154718) #
I remember two.  The triple play that wasn't in the playoffs in 92 or 93 when the third play, the Kelly Gruber ankle tag, was called safe.  The Devon White catch to start that play was amazing in its own right.  The second play was when Jesse Barfield threw a runner out at home on a single to right field, the runner was on third before the play.
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Craig B - Tuesday, September 05 2006 @ 11:24 PM EDT (#154719) #
Yeah!  Gerry, that was an amazing play, all the more for the stakes.  White had no business making that catch; no human being did.

Thanks Bruce for hooking me up.  What I didn't say to him but should have, was that it says a lot about those mid-80s Mariners teams that they busted the catcher's ankle (and prematurely ended his career) on a play and still managed to turn a clean single to right into an inning-ending double play.

In a game they eventually lost in extra innings, the Mariners had three runners thrown out at the plate from the outfield.  That hurts.
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phifediggy - Tuesday, September 05 2006 @ 11:40 PM EDT (#154721) #
The ESPN show Baseball Tonight recently aired the top 3 "web gems" in Blue Jays history:
  1. The Buck Martinez play
  2. The World Series triple play that was incorrectly ruled a double play
  3. O-Dog ranging all the way into the right field foul area at Fenway to make a sliding catch (in the replay you could read the lips of the fan in the front row -- "oh my god!")
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Mylegacy - Wednesday, September 06 2006 @ 12:52 AM EDT (#154729) #

I was in Seattle at that game. WOW!

Interestingly, it was so obvious that Buck was seriously hurt that Thomas tried to tip toe past him instead of hitting him. For trying to be a good guy he got tagged by the Buckster. The other thing about the play was that the next night another catcher, in another city, tagged TWO guys out at home on the SAME PLAY. So Buck's play only got a little bit of TV time. But I'll always remember it.

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ayjackson - Wednesday, September 06 2006 @ 01:06 AM EDT (#154732) #
I remember an early Barfield gem, but the details have become foggy over the years.  It was as good an outfield assist as I've ever seen.  I think it was the Twins and I think it was at the Ex.  He caught a fly ball on, or just in front of the warning track in right and gunned down the running tagging and trying for third.  I think it was Carew or Perez and he didn't slide - he was stunned as the ball sailed past him and into the third baseman's glove on the fly.  I'd never seen a throw like it before and don't know if I will again.  Anyone remember this, or am i dreaming?
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Gerry - Wednesday, September 06 2006 @ 08:44 AM EDT (#154749) #
On the Barfield play I remember a runner on third and the batter hit a single to right.  The ball was short hopped by Barfield and the runner held up thinking the ball might be caught.  Barfield was able to gun it to the plate to get the runner from third.
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Craig B - Wednesday, September 06 2006 @ 09:19 AM EDT (#154753) #

He caught a fly ball on, or just in front of the warning track in right and gunned down the running tagging and trying for third.  I think it was Carew or Perez and he didn't slide - he was stunned as the ball sailed past him and into the third baseman's glove on the fly.

In my research I actually already had found this play.

7/11/85... ANGELS 7TH: Beniquez hit into a double play (right to third) [Carew out at third]

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Magpie - Wednesday, September 06 2006 @ 09:30 AM EDT (#154756) #
Martinez makes catch and tag while seated.

Buck always expressed his gratitude to Gorman Thomas (a former teammate), for slowing down and basically trying to tip-toe around the fallen Martinez.

The following play was nowhere near as spectacular as Buck's famous double play at home, but I was always very fond of it anyway:

BLUE JAYS 9TH: LEARY REPLACED BOSIO (PITCHING); Olerud singled to left; Jackson out on a sacrifice bunt (first to second) [Olerud to second]; GRIFFIN RAN FOR OLERUD; T. Ward was walked intentionally; Sprague forced T. Ward (third to second) [Griffin scored, Sprague to first]; Borders struck out;
1 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB. Blue Jays 2, Mariners 0.

Yes, that's Alfredo Griffin scoring from second base on an infield groundout. And that's when Alfredo was old....
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Mike D - Wednesday, September 06 2006 @ 10:11 AM EDT (#154761) #
I'm partial to two centre field catches -- Devo at Camden Yards and Vernon at Yankee Stadium.  In each case they timed their leap so as to reach not only above but behind the fence so as to bring a home run ball back.  Kind of like an anti-Rios-at-Fenway idea.
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Grimlock - Wednesday, September 06 2006 @ 12:01 PM EDT (#154783) #
Me Grimlock remember the Camden Yards catch. It was maybe a week before the strike in 94. Maybe the catch has grown in me Grimlcok's mind, but the momentum and reach of the catch took his entire upper body over the fence before he came back.
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Nigel - Wednesday, September 06 2006 @ 12:19 PM EDT (#154784) #
I always remember Damaso Garcia's line drive single on a pitch out/intentional walk.  It's not totally unique, (Cabrera did it earlier this year) but it was so in character for Garcia (one of my all time favourite Jays) that it always makes me laugh.  It was on a pitch that was wayyyy out of the strikezone.  Of course, there really wasn't a strikezone for Garcia.
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John Northey - Wednesday, September 06 2006 @ 01:41 PM EDT (#154795) #
The mid-80 Jays were so much fun for that.  Bell, Garcia, Fernandez, Griffen were all known for swinging at pitches above their heads, bouncing on the ground, a foot outside, whatever.  Fernandez learned to lay off those but the others never did.  Must have been painful for pitchers though as those guys would get hits on balls like that.  How on earth do you know what to throw in those situations? 
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Craig B - Wednesday, September 06 2006 @ 03:45 PM EDT (#154807) #

Of course, there really wasn't a strikezone for Garcia.

Damo's theory was, if the catcher can catch it, surely I can hit it.

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Nigel - Wednesday, September 06 2006 @ 05:14 PM EDT (#154821) #

Craig, I believe Garcia's instructional video is titled- If its Leavin' the Pitchers Hand its in My Strikezone. 

 

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Mike D - Wednesday, September 06 2006 @ 07:17 PM EDT (#154832) #
If Damaso Garcia had an instructional video, I'd title it En Fuego.  For several reasons.
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Craig B - Wednesday, September 06 2006 @ 07:28 PM EDT (#154833) #
"Now kids, remember, don't breathe the smoke from the polyester or you'll end up with a voice like Marge Schott"
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CeeBee - Wednesday, September 06 2006 @ 08:40 PM EDT (#154838) #
I think Damo came up through the Manny Sanguillen school of hitting. Vlad Guerrero is one of the brightest graduates I'd say tho :)
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Geoff - Wednesday, September 06 2006 @ 11:30 PM EDT (#154860) #
So for that Barfield-Buck-Bell play, would that be considered a double-play? The ol' 9-2-7-2? Did no one even use a cutoff guy?
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Craig B - Thursday, September 07 2006 @ 09:09 AM EDT (#154874) #

Yes, it's a double play.  Any time that two outs are recorded before the ball is dead, or any time an out is followed by an appeal play (regardless of whether ot not the ball has been dead in the interim) a double play is given.  So that play was a single and a 9-2-7-2 double play.

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