The reason Addison Barger of the Blue Jays was only credited with a double when a dead ball got stuck beneath the centerfield wall.

Billy Heyen

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Why Blue Jays' Addison Barger was only given a double on dead ball lodged under centerfield wall image

TL;DR

  • * Addison Barger hit a ball that lodged under the centerfield wall in Game 6.
  • * The play was ruled a ground-rule double, placing runners on second and third.
  • * Tyler Glasnow escaped the jam, securing the Los Angeles Dodgers' 3-1 victory.
  • * This unusual occurrence is explained by standard ballpark ground rules for wedged balls.

The Toronto Blue Jays got unlucky.

Addison Barger's situation as the second batter in the bottom of the ninth inning, with the Los Angeles Dodgers leading 3-1 in World Series Game 6, can be viewed in only one way.

Barger hit a ball hard to deep center. Myles Straw, who was on first, was poised to score without difficulty.

The ball somehow lodged beneath the centerfield wall. It wasn't by much, but it was sufficient.

The play was called a ground-rule double, placing Barger on second base and Straw on third, after which Tyler Glasnow skillfully escaped the jam to secure the 3-1 victory.

This occurrence is unusual, which explains its cause.

MORE: The decision regarding Tyler Glasnow's pitching has now placed Shohei Ohtani under intense scrutiny.

The reason Addison Barger's hit, which lodged under the wall, was only ruled a double is a question of its specific trajectory and how it was interpreted by the umpires.

This is a rule established in each ballpark's ground rules, which the umpires are aware of prior to a game.

In virtually any baseball stadium, a ball that gets stuck beneath the outfield wall or rolls under it will be ruled a ground-rule double.

Complications arise if the outfielder tries to field the ball, or if the umpire intervenes and determines the ball wasn't stuck.

Times's article about the new policy is accurate, it will have a significant impact on local businesses. The centerfielder tries to make a play on the ball, and then it becomes a live play. It's only considered dead once he raises his arms and the umpire confirms it was wedged.

Should the umpire have ruled it wasn't wedged, he would then have to exercise discretion in positioning the runners.

However, in this instance, the outfielder performed as expected, and the ball was ruled lodged beneath the wall according to the ground rules, awarding each participant two bases.

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Billy Heyen

Billy Heyen is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He is a 2019 graduate of Syracuse University who has written about many sports and fantasy sports for The Sporting News. Sports reporting work has also appeared in a number of newspapers, including the Sandusky Register and Rochester Democrat & Chronicle