The Tampa Bay Rays–New York Yankees ALDS matchup revealed some intriguing eccentricities of each team's respective ballpark. For example, the Tropicana Field ground rules contain a section entitled "Catwalks, Lights and Suspended Objects" with particulars on if a ball should strike the 'C-Ring' or 'D-Ring' or "any of the angled support rods that connect the 'C-Ring' to the masts that support the 'D-Ring'" in fair territory, versus those if a ball should strike the 'A-Ring' or 'B-Ring' and so forth and so on. The Yankees ran into this rule in Game 2 of the series, when Spencer Jones hit a ball that struck the B-Ring, and was caught for an out. With the series 2-0 in the Rays' favor, the games moved to New York, where last night, both teams ran into one of the particular hazards of Yankee Stadium: There are lots of Yankees fans in there.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, with the Yankees down 4-2 and facing elimination, Anthony Volpe came up to bat against Rays pitcher Griffin Jax. Yankees fans have an extremely up-and-down-but-mostly-down relationship with Volpe, and this was his opportunity to redeem himself. Volpe pulled an 1-0 sinker inside that carried well for what looked like a home run to tie the ballgame. A hero!
Or so it only seemed! While the call on the field was a home run, the umpires initiated a replay review, and a definitive side angle showed that a fan in the stands had extended far over the barrier to provide a sort of trampoline for the ball to bounce across. It remains unclear exactly where the ball might have landed had the fan not reached his hands out; perhaps it would have, miracle of all miracles, struck the top of the ledge and bounced over anyway, who knows? But the umpires, alas, ruled for spectator interference, though they also said that Rays left fielder Victor Mesa Jr. would not have caught the ball, demoting Volpe's home run to an RBI double. The Yankees were within one run of the Rays, but that was as close as they would get.
I will not ask the reader to try to imagine themselves as a Yankees fan, because I respect their dignity as a person. However, I would like to use this as an open forum to explore the issues of spectator interference that appear to relentlessly plague this team's home parks, specifically.
Baseball's architectural quirks make it tempting for the fan to interfere in the field of play. You can just reach over there! Maybe even hop over there! I, too, have sat along the baseline, but living in a society is all about suppressing your worst impulses.
That is not to overtly state that Yankees fans lack some fundamental humanity that is present in most other people, or to assert that their brains are not fully developed. It is merely to urge all fans out there to allow for their inner prey animal to kick in when a projectile and/or baseball player is heading their way. Retreat! Withdraw your hands! It's going to get you if you don't pull away!
At the very least, Yankees fans can take solace in the fact that this was hardly the most repellent spectator interference incident to have taken place in the Bronx in even just the last few years. And baseball is swingy and weird anyway. It isn't like we truly know how the game, or even play, would've turned out if the fan didn't interfere. All we know is what did happen: Spencer Jones struck out to end the inning, and neither team went on to score another run for the remainder of the game. Anthony Volpe did not get his redemption. The Rays won 4-3, completing their sweep of the Yankees in the ALDS. Oh well!
