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08-18-2004, 07:28 AM
<b>On-base gaffes prove embarrassing</b>
The sacrifice fly might not be the most exhilarating play on a baseball diamond but it has a certain utilitarian charm.
The offensive team trades a fly-ball out for a run. The hitter jogs toward first base and is rewarded with an RBI and a series of high fives.
At least, that's how it's supposed to work.
During the course of Milwaukee's 3-1 victory over Chicago Wednesday night at Miller Park, Brewers shortstop Craig Counsell came to the plate twice with a runner on third and one out. Both times, he hit what seemed to be routine line drives to Cubs centerfielder Corey Patterson.
But there was nothing routine about them.
"Two normal sac flies and they turned into circus plays," Counsell said.
The Brewers held a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when errors by Cubs middle infielders Nomar Garciaparra and Mark Grudzielanek put runners at first and third with one out.
Counsell stroked the first pitch from right-hander Victor Zambrano into center and ran toward first.
Geoff Jenkins, the runner on third, tagged on the play and headed for home as soon as the ball hit Patterson's glove. Brady Clark, who was running with the pitch, was almost to second base when he realized that he was in trouble.
"I saw (Counsell) hit it and I saw the ball all the way," Clark said. "I just took a couple more steps because I wasn't sure if it was going to drop in or carry to (Patterson). Once I realized he was going to catch it, I knew I had to get back (to first) and I knew it was going to be close."
The play was indeed close. Second-base umpire Wally Bell ruled Clark safe but television replays showed that Clark was out by about a foot.
"We caught a break there," Brewers first-base coach Dave Nelson said. "If they'd called him out, I wouldn't have said anything."
There was almost a lot to say. Jenkins, who was trotting home from third, crossed the plate at almost the same instant that Clark was getting back to first. Umpires told the Brewers that the run would have counted regardless of Clark's status. Had Jenkins been a touch slower, Counsell's RBI would have been in jeopardy.
In the sixth, a miscue by Lyle Overbay cost Counsell an RBI.
With the bases loaded and one out, Counsell smacked a 0-2 pitch into center. Patterson, who was ready to concede the run, caught the ball flat-footed and made a somewhat leisurely throw to the cutoff man - first baseman Derrek Lee - who was positioned near the pitcher's mound.
Overbay, who was on third, took a few strides toward home plate, realized he had left before Patterson caught the ball, stopped and returned to the bag, where he saw stunned third-base coach Rich Donnelly.
"I didn't want to see him then," Donnelly said. "We were both looking for a place to hide."
Asked for an explanation, Overbay said: "I don't know what happened. I knew it wasn't going to be close. I knew he wasn't going to throw me out. I just wanted to get the timing. It wasn't like he deked me. It just seemed like he was going to catch it nonchalantly and I (got going forward)."
With the Brewers fans in the crowd jeering, Gary Bennett flied out to end the inning.
Counsell, who was running to first, realized what had happened.
"I was watching Lyle the whole way," he said. "I saw him leave early, but I thought he was just going to keep going and hope that nobody saw what happened."
That thought crossed Overbay's mind. So did the idea of retouching third and heading for home.
"I thought about it, but I just decided to stay," he said. "It was just one of those plays."
The sacrifice fly might not be the most exhilarating play on a baseball diamond but it has a certain utilitarian charm.
The offensive team trades a fly-ball out for a run. The hitter jogs toward first base and is rewarded with an RBI and a series of high fives.
At least, that's how it's supposed to work.
During the course of Milwaukee's 3-1 victory over Chicago Wednesday night at Miller Park, Brewers shortstop Craig Counsell came to the plate twice with a runner on third and one out. Both times, he hit what seemed to be routine line drives to Cubs centerfielder Corey Patterson.
But there was nothing routine about them.
"Two normal sac flies and they turned into circus plays," Counsell said.
The Brewers held a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning when errors by Cubs middle infielders Nomar Garciaparra and Mark Grudzielanek put runners at first and third with one out.
Counsell stroked the first pitch from right-hander Victor Zambrano into center and ran toward first.
Geoff Jenkins, the runner on third, tagged on the play and headed for home as soon as the ball hit Patterson's glove. Brady Clark, who was running with the pitch, was almost to second base when he realized that he was in trouble.
"I saw (Counsell) hit it and I saw the ball all the way," Clark said. "I just took a couple more steps because I wasn't sure if it was going to drop in or carry to (Patterson). Once I realized he was going to catch it, I knew I had to get back (to first) and I knew it was going to be close."
The play was indeed close. Second-base umpire Wally Bell ruled Clark safe but television replays showed that Clark was out by about a foot.
"We caught a break there," Brewers first-base coach Dave Nelson said. "If they'd called him out, I wouldn't have said anything."
There was almost a lot to say. Jenkins, who was trotting home from third, crossed the plate at almost the same instant that Clark was getting back to first. Umpires told the Brewers that the run would have counted regardless of Clark's status. Had Jenkins been a touch slower, Counsell's RBI would have been in jeopardy.
In the sixth, a miscue by Lyle Overbay cost Counsell an RBI.
With the bases loaded and one out, Counsell smacked a 0-2 pitch into center. Patterson, who was ready to concede the run, caught the ball flat-footed and made a somewhat leisurely throw to the cutoff man - first baseman Derrek Lee - who was positioned near the pitcher's mound.
Overbay, who was on third, took a few strides toward home plate, realized he had left before Patterson caught the ball, stopped and returned to the bag, where he saw stunned third-base coach Rich Donnelly.
"I didn't want to see him then," Donnelly said. "We were both looking for a place to hide."
Asked for an explanation, Overbay said: "I don't know what happened. I knew it wasn't going to be close. I knew he wasn't going to throw me out. I just wanted to get the timing. It wasn't like he deked me. It just seemed like he was going to catch it nonchalantly and I (got going forward)."
With the Brewers fans in the crowd jeering, Gary Bennett flied out to end the inning.
Counsell, who was running to first, realized what had happened.
"I was watching Lyle the whole way," he said. "I saw him leave early, but I thought he was just going to keep going and hope that nobody saw what happened."
That thought crossed Overbay's mind. So did the idea of retouching third and heading for home.
"I thought about it, but I just decided to stay," he said. "It was just one of those plays."