Over the wall or down the line: Toughest plays in baseball (6-10)

I was mortified when espn's top play of the first half of 2006 was some hockey goal that I had never seen aired before, ever. The rest of the top 10 was rounded out by over 4 amazing catches by outfielders and an awkward play by a second baseman. Having read over a dozen Bill Simmons articles in the past week (work is exceedingly boring) and thanks to the provoking words of my buddy Unaiz I got to thinking about the toughest plays to be made in baseball. The infamous John Kruk believes that fielding is contagious and that players are always trying to “one up” their teammates. Well here’s a guide to determining just how much awe we should be showing for some of the tougher defensive plays in Baseball.

I’d also like to note that there are always exceptions to these rules. Anything done with bare hands or during the 9th inning (or any critical moment) gets extra bonus points. Also to be noted; I have no idea what bonus points are, just that they should be distributed them wisely.

We'll lead off with the 6-10:

10. Outfielder coming in
You've seen plenty of these plays on sportscenter or Baseball tonight, and they occur so often that you're only intrigued because it's always cool to see guy fly through the air. Frankly these plays aren't excessively hard. You are already charging, have a clear view of the ball, and have plenty of time to judge whether diving is necessary or not. The only danger is in allowing the ball to get passed you in your haste, which can lead to multiple extra bases for the hitter. These plays are equivalent to difficulty of leaping plays by infielders to snag line drives. A infielder merely requires a good vertical and an adequate sense of timing in order to rob a batter of a line drive single.

9. Ground ball to the right side
The second baseman and first baseman have the luxury of a short throw/run to first base. This play also applies to shortstops going up the middle who also benefit from their momentum carrying them in the direction of the throw. *One exception to this classification is the incredible play made by rookie Ozzie Smith (then with the Padres) who when diving to his left was caught off guard as the ball redirected itself (via rock). He reached back with his bare hand mid-dive and miraculously caught hold of the baseball. He then climbed to his feet and fired to first as if he had just fielded a simple grounder. Actually, anything Ozzie did defies all these rules, he was truly a spectacle to behold. Free Bonus Points for all Ozzie plays! (I’m remaining undecided as to whether Omar Vizquel deserves the same type of treatment.

8. Slow roller
Iguchi's tumbling play on a ball back up the middle cracked espn's top ten for this half year, as he threw the ball with his arm parallel to and only an inch above the ground. The more common version is seen on a bunt or nubber down the third base line that a third baseman must quickly field and hurl over to first. The best hot corner gunner that ever saw to exemplify this skill was Scott Brosius who never seemed to miss an opportunity to show off his big hands that would swoop down and cradle the ball before throwing the runner going running to first. Yea I know that sounded a little gay……I don’t care.

7. Line drive back at the pitcher
These pitchers are usually just trying to protect themselves let alone rob the hitter of a hit. To have the presence of mind to not only defend oneself but to knock down the ball and then throw out the hitter is something to be praised. The most memorable version of these plays is Terry Mulholland's impressive stab at a hard hit grounder back up the middle that proceeded to wedge itself within the webbing of his glove. Mulholland, quickly realizing his conundrum, jogged half way to first before lofting his entire glove to the first baseman for the out. Another amazing play was by Mike Stanton, (not the current lefty, but a 6'2" righty who only spent 7 brief seasons in the majors in the 80’s) who caught a line drive traveling a 100+ mph with his outstretched bare hand.

6. Outfielder to his side
These plays carry the equal risk of letting the ball get away and allowing the hitter a shot at a triple, but judging these shots is harder. From the crack of the bat you've got to decide whether to cut the ball off or risk going horizontally airborne in order to prevent the ball from reaching the outfielder fence. These plays are comparable to the diving plays made by infielders who have a shorter time to react but are not scorned if they miss because the result is often a single, or a double down the line at worst.