MLB
Scores
Schedule
Pitching Probables
Standings
Statistics
Players
Transactions
Injuries: AL | NL
Minor Leagues
MLB en espanol
Message Board
CLUBHOUSE


FEATURES
News Wire
Daily Glance
Power Alley
History
MLB Insider


THE ROSTER
Jim Caple
Peter Gammons
Rob Neyer
John Sickels
Jayson Stark
ESPN MALL
TeamStore
ESPN Auctions
SPORT SECTIONS
Saturday, August 12
 
Benny's blunder costs Mets one run

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Catching a fly ball was easy for Benny Agbayani. Figuring out what to do with it wasn't as simple as 1-2-3.

Benny Agbayani
Agbayani

Thinking it was the third out, the New York Mets left fielder handed the ball to a 7-year-old boy Saturday night.

Problem was, there were only two outs, the bases were loaded and the ball was live. The play came in the fourth inning and gave San Francisco an extra run for a 2-1 lead.

"It was weird," said the young fan, Jake Burns.

The gaffe did not cost the Mets the game, though, as they rallied to beat the Giants 3-2.

Larry Walker, then with the Montreal Expos, made a similar slipup on April 24, 1994, when he handed a ball to a 9-year-old boy in the front row at Dodger Stadium after catching a foul fly with one out and a runner on first.

Down 1-0, the Giants loaded the bases with one out and Bobby Estalella hit a lazy fly to left field. Agbayani ran toward the line to make the catch.

With Jeff Kent tagging from third and scoring, Agbayani jogged toward the left-field seats and handed the ball to the boy, who broke into a big smile.

"He was eating a hot dog and then all of a sudden he had a ball in his other hand," said Burns' father, Jim.

As soon as Agbayani gave the ball away, another fan raised two fingers to tell Agbayani that there were only two outs, but it was too late.

Agbayani grabbed the ball back from the fan and threw it back to the infield, but the runners were given two extra bases on the error. Ellis Burks scored the second run.

The New York fans booed at the end of the inning, but gave Agbayani a nice ovation before he struck out in the bottom half.

After Agbayani warmed up in the top of the fifth, he directed that the ball be given to the boy.

Jake Burns was attending his third game of the season. He said he did not know how many outs there were when the kooky play occurred, but his father did.

"I figured I was wrong. Then I saw his expression," he said, referring to his son, "and I couldn't care less."




 More from ESPN...
Comedy of error: Benny's blunder doesn't sink Mets



 ESPN Tools
Email story
 
Most sent
 
Print story
 
Daily email