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7/14/2006: Chris Woodward of the Mets hit a ball that cleared the basket in left center at Wrigley Field for an apparent home run off Greg Maddux. However, the ball was ruled in play and Woodward reached third for a triple. He later scored on a sacrifice fly. The Mets beat the Cubs, 6-3.

ByThis Day in Baseball

7/14/2006: Chris Woodward of the Mets hit a ball that cleared the basket in left center at Wrigley Field for an apparent home run off Greg Maddux. However, the ball was ruled in play and Woodward reached third for a triple. He later scored on a sacrifice fly. The Mets beat the Cubs, 6-3.

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7/5/2006: Kevin Youkilis of the Red Sox hit a blast to left field off Devil Rays pitcher Tim Corcoran in the top of the third inning which hit one of Tropicana Field’s “B-ring” catwalks. Per the ground rules the ball was in play, so when Tampa Bay left fielder Carl Crawford caught the ball after it caromed off the catwalk Youkilis was actually retired on a drive that should have been a long home run.

ByTom

7/5/2006: Kevin Youkilis of the Red Sox hit a blast to left field off Devil Rays pitcher Tim Corcoran in the top of the third inning which hit one of Tropicana Field’s “B-ring” catwalks. Per the ground rules the ball was in play, so when Tampa Bay left fielder Carl Crawford caught the ball after it caromed off the catwalk Youkilis was actually retired on a drive that should have been a long home run.

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6/15/2006: David Ortiz of the Red Sox hit a towering fly ball in the top of the sixth inning at the Metrodome. The ball soared toward the upper deck but struck a speaker hanging from the ceiling and fell onto the field. Ortiz only reached first base and was out on a double play. After the game, Boston manager Terry Francona said: “It’s like playing putt-putt golf where you’ve got to go around the windmill. That’s embarrassing. The outcome of the game should never, never hinge on a speaker.” The Twins completed a three-game sweep of the Red Sox, 5-3.

ByTom

6/15/2006: David Ortiz of the Red Sox hit a towering fly ball in the top of the sixth inning at the Metrodome. The ball soared toward the upper deck but struck a speaker hanging from the ceiling and fell onto the field. Ortiz only reached first base and was out on a double play. After the game, Boston manager Terry Francona said: “It’s like playing putt-putt golf where you’ve got to go around the windmill. That’s embarrassing. The outcome of the game should never, never hinge on a speaker.” The Twins completed a three-game sweep of the Red Sox, 5-3.

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4/16/2006: Javy Lopez of the Orioles hit a home run to left center in the second inning of a game at Camden Yards as Darin Erstad attempted to catch the ball at the wall. The runner on first, Miguel Tejada, thinking the ball was caught, returned towards the bag and Lopez rounded first and passed Tejada. Lopez was called out and Tejada scored on the play, giving Lopez an RBI single over the wall. The Angels beat the Orioles, 9-3.

ByTom

4/16/2006: Javy Lopez of the Orioles hit a home run to left center in the second inning of a game at Camden Yards as Darin Erstad attempted to catch the ball at the wall. The runner on first, Miguel Tejada, thinking the ball was caught, returned towards the bag and Lopez rounded first and passed Tejada. Lopez was called out and Tejada scored on the play, giving Lopez an RBI single over the wall. The Angels beat the Orioles, 9-3.

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8/10/2005: Gabe Kapler of the Red Sox hit a line drive off Kenny Rogers that struck the top of the LF wall in the bottom of the third inning at Fenway Park. The ball bounced into the relatively new “Monster Seats” on top of the wall, struck a table and caromed back onto the field. Umpire Derryl Cousins said the ball never left the field and after a consultation among the crew the call was upheld and Kapler ended up with a double. Trot Nixon, on the disabled list, was ejected from the dugout after the call. The lost dinger didn’t matter in the game as Boston beat Texas, 16-5.

ByTom

8/10/2005: Gabe Kapler of the Red Sox hit a line drive off Kenny Rogers that struck the top of the LF wall in the bottom of the third inning at Fenway Park. The ball bounced into the relatively new “Monster Seats” on top of the wall, struck a table and caromed back onto the field. Umpire Derryl Cousins said the ball never left the field and after a consultation among the crew the call was upheld and Kapler ended up with a double. Trot Nixon, on the disabled list, was ejected from the dugout after the call. The lost dinger didn’t matter in the game as Boston beat Texas, 16-5.

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9/27/2003: In the top of the 9th the Boston Red Sox were behind one run in a game at Tampa Bay. Left fielder David McCarty hit a home run into the left field stands. Umpire Joe West ruled fan interference and called him out on it, saying that Tampa Bay’s left fielder Carl Crawford could have made the catch. Replays clearly showed it was a home run at least 2 feet into the stands. That would have tied the score but the Sox lost 5-4.

ByTom

9/27/2003: In the top of the 9th the Boston Red Sox were behind one run in a game at Tampa Bay. Left fielder David McCarty hit a home run into the left field stands. Umpire Joe West ruled fan interference and called him out on it, saying that Tampa Bay’s left fielder Carl Crawford could have made the catch. Replays clearly showed it was a home run at least 2 feet into the stands. That would have tied the score but the Sox lost 5-4.

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7/6/2002: In the top of the tenth with Mike Caruso on first and one out, the Royals Michael Tucker hit a long fly to center which was caught by Terrence Long of the Athletics at the wall. However, Long snow-coned it and lost it over the fence for a homer when he hit the wall. Tucker stopped as he approached second, but Caruso not realizing that the Long had not held the ball started to tag up and passed Tucker going back to first. Tucker was called out for passing the runner; he lost a homer but was credited with an RBI-single that gave the Royals a 4-3 victory over the Athletics.

ByTom

7/6/2002: In the top of the tenth with Mike Caruso on first and one out, the Royals Michael Tucker hit a long fly to center which was caught by Terrence Long of the Athletics at the wall. However, Long snow-coned it and lost it over the fence for a homer when he hit the wall. Tucker stopped as he approached second, but Caruso not realizing that the Long had not held the ball started to tag up and passed Tucker going back to first. Tucker was called out for passing the runner; he lost a homer but was credited with an RBI-single that gave the Royals a 4-3 victory over the Athletics.

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9/11/2000: Richard Hidalgo homered into the right-centerfield bullpen in the bottom of the fifth inning. The ball caromed off an inner fence back onto the field and was ruled in play. Hidalgo had to settle for a triple. In each of the previous two games, Hidalgo had hit two homers. With the homer he had hit in the second inning, this lost blast would have made three consecutive games with multiple homers.

ByTom

9/11/2000: Richard Hidalgo homered into the right-centerfield bullpen in the bottom of the fifth inning. The ball caromed off an inner fence back onto the field and was ruled in play. Hidalgo had to settle for a triple. In each of the previous two games, Hidalgo had hit two homers. With the homer he had hit in the second inning, this lost blast would have made three consecutive games with multiple homers.

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4/7/2000: Jose Canseco of the Devil Rays hit a tremendous blast to left field off Indians pitcher Jaret Wright in the bottom of the fifth inning which hit one of Tropicana Field’s “B-ring” catwalks. Per the ground rules the ball was in play and Canseco managed to only get a double on the mammoth drive that was destined to be a very long home run.

ByThis Day in Baseball

4/7/2000: Jose Canseco of the Devil Rays hit a tremendous blast to left field off Indians pitcher Jaret Wright in the bottom of the fifth inning which hit one of Tropicana Field’s “B-ring” catwalks. Per the ground rules the ball was in play and Canseco managed to only get a double on the mammoth drive that was destined to be a very long home run.

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Robin Ventura hits a walk off “Grand Slam Single”

ByTom

10/17/1999: In game 5 of the NL Championship Series, the Braves had taken a 3-2 lead in the top of the 15th inning. However, after an one-out intentional walk to load the bases, Todd Pratt walked to push across the tying run for the Mets. Robin Ventura came to the plate with a chance to win the game. Ventura hit a Kevin McGlinchy pitch over the right-centerfield fence for an apparent game-ending grand slam. However, once each baserunner had advanced one base, thus scoring the winning run, Pratt turned and ran towards Ventura to give him a big hug. Ventura had rounded first base and was advancing towards second in his home run trot. He kept motioning to the other runners to keep running. Since each runner only advanced the one bag, Ventura is officially credited with an RBI-single. It would have been the first game-ending grand slam in the history of post-season.