Diamondbacks player called out for using his head to avoid being tagged
This will remind baseball fans of a certain age of Reggie Jackson in the 1978 World Series.
During Monday night’s Diamondbacks-Rockies game, Arizona’s Kole Calhoun found himself in a rundown, so he used his head to escape the jam.
Unfortunately that’s why umpires called him out. Confused? Well, Calhoun literally used his head.
In the fifth inning, Calhoun was on first base when teammate Ketel Marte flied to left. The Rockies tried to double Calhoun off first, but the throw went past the bag so Calhoun bolted for second.
Calhoun was dismayed to see Rockies catcher Tony Wolters had backed up first and had the ball. Realizing he was going to be thrown out, Calhoun stuck his head out and knocked the ball down.
The umpires realized Calhoun had headed the ball and called him out.
“I saw it kick off Murphy’s glove, and just instincts tell you to go,” Calhoun told MLB.com. “So, as I’m running, I kind of look back to see what had happened behind me and wasn’t expecting Wolters to be there with the ball. Right when that happened, I knew I was done. Now you’re in a pickle.”
Close Call Sports noted the rule Calhoun broke: “It is interference by a batter or runner when ... he fails to avoid a fielder who is attempting to field a batted ball, or intentionally interferes with a thrown ball.”
This hearkens back to Game 4 of the 1978 World Series when Jackson stuck his hip out and helped a teammate reach base and another score a run:
This story was originally published August 25, 2020 at 10:04 AM.
