Chuck Knoblauch argues interference as the go-ahead run scores, a breakdown

May 5, 2020 317.3K views 3:34

What Happened

In the bottom of the 12th inning of Game 2 of the 1998 American League Championship Series between the Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees, the game is tied. Cleveland first baseman Jim Thome slaps a single into left field and the Indians send pinch-runner Enrique Wilson to try and score the go-ahead run. Yankees first baseman Tino Martinez fields the ball and fires it to the plate, but the throw hits Wilson in the back as he is running down the line. Yankees second baseman Chuck Knoblauch immediately argues that Wilson interfered with the play, but the umpires rule that Wilson had a right to that part of the baseline on his final step to the plate. Enrique Wilson scores, giving the Indians a 1-0 lead. Yankees manager Joe Torre comes out to argue the call, but the umpires uphold their decision. Indians manager Mike Hargrove stands by and watches the heated dispute. The umpires ultimately decide the play was not interference and the go-ahead run stands for the Indians. The Yankees go on to lose Game 2 and then Game 3, but they ultimately come back to win the next two games and the series, advancing to the World Series. However, the play at the plate in Game 2 draws significant criticism for Knoblauch, who was seen blowing bubbles as he argued the call. While many baseball players use that as a way to exhale during intense moments, it creates a bad look in this case. The play highlights the delicate nature of interference calls, which are largely subjective decisions by the umpires. While similar plays have been ruled both ways in the past, the umpires determined that Wilson had the right to that part of the baseline on his final step home, allowing the go-ahead run to score for the Indians in this crucial ALCS matchup.

Why This Matters

It's the 12th inning of a playoff game and the go-ahead run scores, but Chuck Knoblauch immediately starts arguing interference because the throw literally hit the runner in the back. This is peak baseball chaos where a guy's complaint might actually have a point, and Jomboy breaks down exactly why the umpire's call either was or wasn't the right move.

This classic playoff moment sits at #851 all-time with 317K views, proving that even three decades later people still want to argue about whether that interference call was legit.

Key Moments

Who / What Is Involved

Players: Chuck Knoblauch, Jim Thome.

Chuck Knoblauch Jim Thome

Key Terms Mentioned

Manager Ejection

going to Game two of the 1998 ALCS

Indians at Yankees it's all tied up

bottom 12th Indians have the rally caps

on Tomei slaps that one tell miss slaps

that one into the left-field and they

say tell me you're too slow so Enrique

Wilson comes in and he's gonna pinch run

for Thome as Travis Fryman tries to

drive him in quick pick off though got

to get Enrique dirty make him feel the

game important here in the first pitch

fried didn't even show bunt wasn't even

a thought a bunt yeah the pitch was way

away but he didn't even inch up on the

bat so maybe the Yankees were like okay

he's not gonna bunt

psych he does bunt Tino's got a run all

the way in he's running on the grass

we've seen a lot of runners do that

before the throw is there and hits them

right in the back Chuck Knobloch says

hey did you guys see that you guys saw

that right

then he forgets to get the ball and you

can see the guy with the broken bat on

the bench going to go to second go to

second no go home no go home go home

here comes Enrique rounds third he gets

a little wobbly or books good but there

you go Manny Ramirez is pumped they're

all pumped and needs her palm to goes by

scored scored the big play is wasn't

interference yeah hit my head he says

Joe Torre is gonna come out to protest

it was it interference let's take

another look because we've seen this

play before see the fact that the ball

hits him in the back as he's making his

final step to the bag is bad for the

Yankees because when you're making that

final step to the bag you have every

right to be there and it's a complete

judgment call if it's interference or

not the umpires can say yes they can say

no it's just a complete judgment call

before I mean where have we seen this

before right these plays the one

the right was called interference the

one on the left was not called

interference and they're basically the

same thing because on that last step

they have the right to the back no

matter where they're coming from where

they've been they have the right to be

right around the bag so I'm Trey Turner

he was called out for interference the

other one he was called safe Joe Torre

tries to argue it you can see this and

then you can see Hargrove just kind of

looking like you better [ __ ] not

and then the umpires get together and

Joe Torre thinks that definitely all the

umpires aren't gonna say the same thing

and say it's not interference but they

do and Hargrove saying you better

[ __ ] not and then the up with those

teeth he says you know sorry

tough luck Joe you're out Yankees lose

this game they lose the next game then

they win the next two then they win the

whole damn thing but Chuck Knobloch got

a lot of bad press because this isn't a

good look blowing bubbles a lot of

players blow bubbles as they make plays

because they're just exhaling so it

looks bad but a lot of baseball players

do that but yeah I mean allowed a guy to

score from first and then a guy on that

should've been out but it was first to

go to third so that right there not a

good look

crazy play