Chuck Knoblauch argues interference as the go-ahead run scores, a breakdown
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.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentgoing 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