42 Years Later, Another Postseason Intentional Walk Goes Awry

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Last week, I posted this in another thread, in regard to M.L.B.'s attempts to speed up the game, which would include doing away with the formality of making the pitcher throw four pitches well outside of the strike zone on intentional walks:

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Perhaps the most famous intentional walk ever, from the 1972 World Series.

Johnny Bench was at the plate, with a count of 3-2. 1st base was open, and runners were on 2nd and 3rd. Athletics manager Dick Williams visited the pitcher's mound. He yelled at his pitcher (Rollie Fingers), and motioned furiously by pointing to 1st base, and then to the on-deck circle ...... a seemingly obvious reference to intentionally walk the batter.

Athletics catcher Gene Tenace went back behind home plate, and stood up and held his hand out to catch what everybody (including Bench) thought would be ball four ...... but at the last instant, Tenace crouched back down into his usual catcher's position, and Fingers threw a fastball on the outside corner for strike three, sending an embarrassed Bench back to the dugout.

[video=youtube;xw0w9rhNtCk]

42 years after the Fingers-Tenace-Bench incident, something else exciting happened on an intentional walk play.

With the bases loaded and 1 out in the bottom of the 7th inning, the Giants scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch, which also allowed the other 2 baserunners to advance to 2nd and 3rd base, respectively.

With 1st base now open, the Nationals decided to intentionally walk Pablo Sandoval.

But on the 1st pitch of the intentional walk attempt, pitcher Aaron Barrett threw the ball clear over catcher Wilson Ramos' head, which prompted Buster Posey to try to score from 3rd base.

Posey was just barely thrown out when Ramos fired the ball back to Barrett at home plate, just in the nick of time.

So, regardless of how routine the intentional walk is ...... even if it is ordinarily even more automatic than extra point kicks are the N.F.L. ....... maybe they should not get rid of the formality of going through with it.

Wild Pitch on Intentional Walk Leads to Nats-Giants Controversy

(By Dayn Perry)

http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/eye-on-baseball/24742788/video-wild-pitch-on-intentional-walk-leads-to-nats-giants-controversy

I remember Terry Mathews having that happen in the '97 regular season against the Tigers interestingly enough. And we all of course remember Miguel Cabrera doing it off of Todd Williams. That one will go down in people's memories and I think given how collective memory is people will wrongly remember it as the play that gave the Giants the lead. What a crazy half inning that was. I am glad I watched last night. Lots of exciting games so far.

I remember Terry Mathews having that happen in the '97 regular season against the Tigers interestingly enough. And we all of course remember Miguel Cabrera doing it off of Todd Williams. That one will go down in people's memories and I think given how collective memory is people will wrongly remember it as the play that gave the Giants the lead. What a crazy half inning that was. I am glad I watched last night. Lots of exciting games so far.

Thanks for that.

Also, these are ONLY the memorable intentional walk incidents from postseason play that I remember.

If anyone has any others that I am missing, that would be greatly appreciated.