Quote:
Originally Posted by nolemmings
Interesting Fred. From Baseball reference, it looks like Harrington was caught off third, maybe having rounded it and/or trying to score, as the play was described as a Dalrymple double play scored 1-6-5.
In the Philly papers the next day there was a nugget about how some managers, including Mauch, grade their players each game with a plus or minus on given plays. The author, not necessarily Mauch, stated that Harrington would have been docked with a minus for "reckless baserunning". Might not have been a typical gaffe though, since Cepeda was credited with "a miraculous fielding play" on what was undoubtedly the same batted ball (the only chance he had that inning).
Although Harrington was dumped to the minors a few days later, it may been due in part because the call-up Cal Emery played the same position and was leading the International League in HR and RBI with a .310 BA. Emery was also a local product, having starred at Penn State. So it looks like Harrington did himself no favors on the basepaths, but replacing him with another rookie might just have been a good baseball move at the time. |
Hi Todd:
Thanks for the research. Did a little of my own because the 1-6-5 double play you mentioned would not have included Cepeda. Found this on retrosheet:
PHILLIES 8TH: Sievers singled to left; HARRINGTON RAN FOR
SIEVERS; Demeter made an out to second; Debut game for Mickey
Harrington; Hoak singled to center [Harrington to second];
Dalrymple hit into a double play (first to shortstop to third)
[Harrington out at third, Hoak out at second]; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB. Giants 2, Phillies 10.
Thus it was a 3-6-5 double play. Since Cepeda made such a great play on the ball hit by Dalrymple he probably dove for the ball, threw to second for the force by the SS and since the ball was hit so hard the SS saw or knew Cepeda could not get back to first base for a return throw so the SS checked the runner who started on second (Harrington), who as you surmised most likely rounded the bag and was thrown out trying to get back to third.
Inglorious ML career!