Jacoby Ellsbury etched his name in the Major League Baseball record books Tuesday night in incredibly random fashion.
Catcher interference, of course, is called when the catcher physically impedes the batter’s ability to legally swing at a pitched ball. This could come in the form of contact with the player or his bat, but the result is a trip to first base for the batter, unless the offended team instead opts for the result of the play, which certainly is possible in instances in which the batter still makes contact with the ball.
In any event, it’s hard to attribute Ellsbury’s single-season record to anything other than luck, although his track record suggests there might be some skill — for lack of a better word — involved. Ellsbury is second all time in career catcher interference calls with 23, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Snyder. Only Pete Rose (29) has more, and no other player in MLB history has more than 18 catcher interference calls.
Whatever works, we suppose.
Thumbnail photo via Andy Marlin/USA TODAY Sports Images
