Runner fooled by fielder’s fake catch, a breakdown #baseball #sports #trick #highlight
What Happened
In a crucial late-game situation, the Florida Gators find themselves with the bases loaded and one out, trailing by a run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Needing to tie the game, the Gators' runner on third base takes off, anticipating a sacrifice fly that will allow him to score the tying run. Florida's center fielder, recognizing the opportunity, camps under the fly ball and makes a show of catching it. However, just as the runner is tagging up, the center fielder quickly pulls his glove down, faking the catch and deceiving the runner into prematurely breaking for home. Realizing he's been duped, the Florida runner frantically retreats back to third base. The center fielder then fires the ball to third, attempting to catch the runner off guard. Panicked, the runner takes off for home again, only to be thrown out at the plate, ending the Gators' scoring threat. "I deked him, and he took off," the center fielder explains after the play, describing his crafty bit of gamesmanship. The daring fake-catch maneuver catches the Florida runner completely off guard, leading to a critical out that preserves the narrow lead for the opposing team. Despite the base-running mistake, the Florida Gators' rally falls short, as they are unable to capitalize on the bases-loaded opportunity. The center fielder's quick thinking and execution of the deceptive play prove to be the decisive factor, denying the Gators a chance to tie the game in the tense late-inning scenario. The sequence of events showcases the importance of situational awareness and the ability to outmaneuver opponents, even in the heat of a close, high-stakes baseball game. The center fielder's clever fake catch highlights the fine line between triumph and defeat, leaving the Florida runner and his team ruefully reflecting on the missed opportunity.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentPlease tell me what happened.
What was that?
Bases loaded, one out.
Florida looking to tie the game up.
Sack fly.
Runner's going to take off.
The center fielder's got to catch the ball,
throw it home to get the runner out at home.
He comes up throwing the third.
Why?
The runner went back to tag up.
Why?
The runner's out at home plate.
Why?
What happened?
What happened?
He says, I deked him, and he took off.
And that's what happened.
So he camps under it, and then does this deke
where he pulls his hand down,
and the runner sees his hand come down and takes off.
Then the runner realizes, oh, shit, I got deked.
Runs back to third.
Now he comes up throwing the third.
The runner could just stay at third right now.
I don't know why the runner takes off again.
He comes up throwing a third to try and get him
before he tags back up.
Instead, the runner takes off for home.
That was kind of a dumb part of play
because it could have not worked, but bam.