SAN FRANCISCO – For years, fans across the country in major league ballparks have relished the idea of throwing balls hit for home runs back onto the field, as if that would take the run off the board. It’s a tradition that gets played out every year at every ballpark, and home fans bask in glory when they do it.
As the saying goes, it’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt. And that’s the type of situation that arose in the fourth inning of San Francisco’s 5-4 win over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night at Oracle Park, a moment in the game that Giants infielder Tyler Fitzgerald described as “dangerous.”
With the Braves batting in the fourth inning, Sean Murphy hit a sacrifice fly to right field. Mike Yastrzemski made the catch then fired a throw back into the infield as Matt Olson rounded third base.
When Olson got near home plate as Yastrzemski’s throw was coming in, a second ball was tossed out of the stands, went over the protective netting behind home plate and landed on the field.
Well that’s a first 😬 pic.twitter.com/yHtdJ6T2Ft
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Olson scored, but there was understandable confusion on the field in the moments immediately following the play.
“That’s a first,” Giants manager Bob Melvin said. “I’ve never seen that before. I don’t know where it came from and I don’t know what the rule is. It didn’t affect the play but it was extremely odd to see another baseball come on the field.”
Umpires met to discuss the play, although it wasn’t clear what they were talking about or what they could do if they determined the second ball had an effect on the play.
Ultimately play resumed without any changes.
It’s unknown whether security or police caught the offender, but there was plenty of outcry on social media about the incident.
Hayden Birdsong, the Giants starting pitcher Friday, was near the mound when the play happened and acknowledged that it confused him momentarily.
“Honestly I didn’t see it [initially],” Birdsong said. “I thought it was the ball that was thrown home and I was like, ‘Why is the ball way out here?’ Then I realized [catcher Patrick Bailey] had the other one.”
On a night filled with strange and unique moments – two runners picked off base and a third caught stealing, for example – whoever threw the ball onto the field took the cake.
It’s certainly no laughing matter. As Fitzgerald pointed out, the second ball could have easily hit one of his teammates on the field. “Then I would have been [angry],” Fitzgerald said.
In some ways, the incident can be viewed as light-hearted, a fan having fun. On the other hand, the potential for injury – let alone mass confusion on the field because play was ongoing – was serious. The person who threw the ball, if ever identified, should have their rights to any further games taken away and they should be permanently banned from Oracle Park.
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