I'm watching the Seattle/Baltimore series this weekend and have repeated poor defensive plays by both catchers. I just saw one play that took the cake.
Richie Sexton is on first and a double is hit to the left-center gap. Sexton (no speed demon) gets waved all the way around.
The throw comes in on a bounce, and Baltimore's catcher Hernandez fields it cleanly on one hop with Sexton at least 10 feet from the plate. I watched it in frame by frame several times and couldn't believe what I thought I first saw, but the TIVO replay confirmed it.
Hernandez got the ball when Sexton had just arrived at the perimiter of the round home plate dirt area. The field dimensions put that at 13 feet from home plate. Hernandez is straddling the plate just as he should be.
Sexton comes in for the slide.... Hernandez literally shrinks from the play, does not put a tag down, and Sexton's foot hits the plate as Hernandez tags him on the upper thigh. The go-ahead run.
I don't think I have ever seen an MLB catcher actually shrink from a play at the plate. It wasn't as if there was a collision about to happen - Hernandez was in perfect position, just had to put the glove in front of the plate and Sexton was out by 10 feet.
He must have a great bat.
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