No, You Can't Catch a Ball With Your Hat

[Lindsay]

Yankees center fielder Trent Grisham got away with an illegal play when he took off and used his hat to field Brewers batter Isaac Collins' fly ball to deep right-center, a rules infraction that should have resulted in a three-base award had the umpires spotted it.

Replays indicate that in the 9th inning of New York's 4-2 win over Milwaukee, Grisham deliberately took off his uniform cap and used it to help control a fair ball at the wall, which is against the rules, the penalty for which is a three-base award: "Three bases, if a fielder deliberately touches a fair ball with their cap, mask or any part of their uniform detached from its proper place on their person. The ball is in play and the batter may advance to home base at their peril" (Official Baseball Rule 5.06(b)(4)(B)).

The violation went uncalled, resulting in a double with Brewers baserunner R1 Joey Ortiz advancing from first to third base. Had the umpires called and enforced the violation and its penalty, Ortiz would have scored and batter-runner Collins would have been placed at third base.

Video as follows:
Alternate Link: Grisham gets away with uncalled detached hat play deep in outfield

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[BrainFreeze]

How could everyone on the field miss that call?

What's up with the Brewers' manager?  

[beerguy55]

5 hours ago, BrainFreeze said:

How could everyone on the field miss that call?

What's up with the Brewers' manager?  

Pretty easy - the closest person is over 200 feet away.  The color of the hat, the wall, and his hair also make it harder to see.  

I didn't even see it the first time I saw it on replay.

[The Man in Blue]

I wouldn't have seen it if I wasn't looking for it.  In addition to @beerguy55's observations, his body was between the ball and pretty much everybody else.

As for the pocket sand being illegal . . . there is no rule saying that it is illegal.  🙄

[ArchAngel72]

Full speed live play No one sees that..  Replay and different angles in slow mo yeah. But it took me half the video to see it.  I doubt any coach or player is gonna grab that in order to challenge it.  Is it even reviewable?

 

 

[dumbdumb]

45 minutes ago, ArchAngel72 said:

Full speed live play No one sees that..  Replay and different angles in slow mo yeah. But it took me half the video to see it.  I doubt any coach or player is gonna grab that in order to challenge it.  Is it even reviewable?

 

 

if throwing a glove at the ball to see if the glove nicked the ball could be IR'd, and i do not know if that play is, then you would think maybe this one would be also.

[beerguy55]

49 minutes ago, ArchAngel72 said:

Full speed live play No one sees that..  Replay and different angles in slow mo yeah. But it took me half the video to see it.  I doubt any coach or player is gonna grab that in order to challenge it.  Is it even reviewable?

Looking at the list, I don't think it is, but happy to be proven wrong.

It MIGHT be reviewable if he had caught the ball in flight with his hat - but even then, the worst that would happen is a "no catch" (because while in flight it first touched a piece of equipment that wasn't properly worn???).  I don't think the awards under rule 5.06(b)(4) can be administered under replay review.

[Velho]

7 hours ago, beerguy55 said:

Looking at the list, I don't think it is, but happy to be proven wrong.

For anyone interested this is covered in the "MLB Umpire Media Guide" (along with individual ballpark ground rules, and umpire bios, history, etc). The 2024 version can be found here https://www.stevetheump.com/reports/2024_Umpire_Media_Guide.pdf

[beerguy55]

23 hours ago, dumbdumb said:

if throwing a glove at the ball to see if the glove nicked the ball could be IR'd, and i do not know if that play is, then you would think maybe this one would be also.

I think this, technically, falls under "obstruction" and is therefore not reviewable.