During a recent MLB baseball game between the Detroit Tigers
and the Cleveland Indians an interesting and rare phenomenon occurred - a walk
off balk. I’m guessing that most casual baseball fans have probably never seen
a balk during a major league game. The common definition of a balk is when the
pitcher makes an “illegal” motion like starting but not completing a pitching
motion or faking a throw to first. (There are actually thirteen different ways
you can be busted for a balk. I know, right?) It’s typically not a big deal but
the penalty for a balk is the advancement of a runner, which in the case of the
Tigers and Indians was a very big deal.
After 5 hours and 16 minutes, in the 13th inning,
with the score 10-10 and the bases loaded, Detroit reliever Al Albuquerque
stared down from the mound at Ryan Raburn. Albuquerque went into his set
position and then he did it, he moved his leg and glove and then stopped. Boom!
A balk! Game over. What was left of the 20,000 in attendance at Progressive Field went bonkers. The Tigers couldn’t even argue the call. So there it was, an
official walk off balk. The walk off balk is so rare they hardly keep stats on
it. I’ve been to a lot of games in my life and really don't remember seeing any
balks, much less a walk off balk.
Anyway, all of this got me thinking about the players and the teams
I used to watch when I was a kid. I started with minor league team Richmond Virginians (saw Brooks Robinson there!) and eventually ended up in Cleveland Municipal Stadium watching the Indians do their thing. The Cleveland teams were mostly lousy during those years but the teams in their division were always entertaining. The Tigers, the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox were always on our list to see and root against. We hated the Yankees.
My two favorite players from that era were Al Kaline of the Tigers and Rocky
Calavito of the Indians. Both were great players, and both bona fide characters. Cleveland
Stadium was so huge and the crowds so small, we never had a problem getting on
the rail during batting practice. We would yak with the players, get baseballs signed and listen to them
tell dirty jokes. It was every thirteen year olds dream. We never thought of any of
those balls as signed baseball memorabilia because we played with them. Yep, its hard to
believe these days but playing with an autographed baseball was a cool thing to
do. Al and Rocky told us so.
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| Rocky Colavito Hand Signed Baseball |
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