Hidden Ball Trick successful in Florida/DBacks game.

[38Special]

With 1 out in the 8th and Luis Terrero on 1st (and Florida up 6-5), Tony Clark singled to left, as Terrero went to third. The throw came into Lowell at 3rd, but he quietly held the ball out of Terrero's sight as he looked toward the third base dugout.

Todd Jones and Matt Treanor had a meeting in front of the plate, and Jones went back toward the mound but instead walked just outside the dirt in a circle (to act as if he was about to get back on the mound). Terrero then stepped off the bag to begin his lead off 3rd, and Lowell quickly tagged him, followed by him showing the umpire that he did have the ball in his hands.

A variation of the usual hidden ball trick when the pitcher and first baseman have a conversation off the mound and the ball is left with the first baseman, but this happened in a much more crucial situation.

[dartek]

Seriously!?
I love the hidden ball trick and no one uses it anymore.

[Yankeeah]

No one's done it since.... September 14th 2004!!!

Who did it, Mike Lowell!

http://www.retrosheet.org/hidden.htm

Notice how many times Ozzie Guillen has been the victim of this.

[keyalyn]

hahaha thats awesome.

This is the overpriced guy that nobody wanted, right?

[yanks710]

hah I can't wait to see that tonight

[AlongCameAPrincess]

Plays like that make the game so eventful and exciting! Well done, Lowell.

[YankeeFan1]

I just saw it. Great stuff. Lowell and Jones really sold it. I wouldn't want to play poker with either of those guys, if I did play poker A player has to be really not playing attention to fall for the hidden ball trick though so it isn't surprising that Ozzie Guillen got caught several times

[flymick24]

smart play... i love old baseball tricks

[bnorris85]

cool...cant wait to see it

[bnorris85]

ohh its on mlb.com

[ZYanksRule]

That was seriously awesome.

[RhodeyYankee2638]

No one's done it since.... September 14th 2004!!!

Who did it, Mike Lowell!

http://www.retrosheet.org/hidden.htm

Notice how many times Ozzie Guillen has been the victim of this.

I've seen 2 of the Guillen ones. It wasn't really the hidden ball trick. Guillen was known for coming off the bag when sliding into first, so the firstbaseman would just hold onto the ball and tag him out.

How is this put on the scorecard? Pickoff?

[weavershrink]

Great play! You snooze you lose...

[Murphy]

hahaha thats awesome

[PaulieIsAwesome]

I hate Skip Bayless. He made me agree with Woody Paige today.

On Cold Pizza, they were talking about the play. Skip Bayless said it was awful, unfair, and not classy. A quote "Players like Derek Jeter and John Smoltz wouldn't do that." God, you're an idiot. Anyone remember the play earlier this year when Damon successfully stole second, but Jeter held the glove on him, and he fell off, getting the Yankees the out? Of course Jeter would do what it took to win.

Yes, Lowell's play was awesome.

[wjf50]

I hate Skip Bayless. He made me agree with Woody Paige today.

On Cold Pizza, they were talking about the play. Skip Bayless said it was awful, unfair, and not classy. A quote "Players like Derek Jeter and John Smoltz wouldn't do that." God, you're an idiot. Anyone remember the play earlier this year when Damon successfully stole second, but Jeter held the glove on him, and he fell off, getting the Yankees the out? Of course Jeter would do what it took to win.

Yes, Lowell's play was awesome.

Another reason to hate Skip.

[Jake_Gibbs]

In the late 60s and early 70s, Gene Michael used to try it. He got away with it more than once. Believe me, that was the high point for many of those Yankee teams.

[YankyDave]

I know it's within the rules but I still feel like it's kind of bush league.

[Soriambi]

In the late 60s and early 70s, Gene Michael used to try it. He got away with it more than once. Believe me, that was the high point for many of those Yankee teams.

Ironically enough, I was looking at a list of hidden ball tricks just a few days ago, right here:

http://www.retrosheet.org/hidden.htm

Some highlights:

-Michael pulled it off five times, including four times in a three year span
-Ozzie Guillen fell for it at least three times, including twice in a two month span.
-I read that Matt Williams used to ask runners to step off of third so that he could clean the dirt off of it, and then tag them out. I saw this in a kid's baseball movie once when I was younger, but it appears that he pulled it off in real baseball at least twice.

And my personal favorite:

-On April 8th, 1988, Gary Carter, then a Met, fell for the trick to end the game. It was his birthday.

[BroadwayBomber55]

I like the Hidden Ball Trick. I remember J.T. Snow pulling off one.

[DJeter1287]

That was awesome! What a great play by the Marlins!

[knickfan23]

My only rememberance of the hidden ball trick was in the movie "Rookie of the Year" when Henry Rowengartner picked off a New York Met for the first out in the top of the 9th.

[Line_Drive]

I've heard that although this move is perfectly legal, it usually results in a HBP for the culprit's team the next day. Is it true that most players consider this a cheap move? I personally liked it, but who knows?