We almost witnessed one of the most incredible World Series finishes ever last night, as Royals outfielder Alex Gordon flicked a simple 2-out base hit to left-center the 9th inning of Game 7. However, Giants centerfielder Gregor Blanco botched the play and allowed Gordon to easily reach third base…but should Royals’ third base coach Mike Jirschele have waved him home for a game-tying inside-the-park home run?
No. No. No. No. No.
Obviously following Salvador Perez’s pop-up in foul territory, yes he should have sent him because they lost anyway therefore hoping for a botched relay throw might have worked. However, suggesting that Gordon should have tested the dicey waters is foolish, if not plain idiocy, that can be confirmed in one photo.
While the photo does show Gordon already slamming on the breaks, it also shows Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford’s body turned and ready to make the throw home. Crawford is at most 175 feet from home plate, meaning a decent throw will take about two seconds to reach Buster Posey. There is no chance Gordon scores if the throw is even remotely close to the target.
This agonizing decision will be debated forever, with some claiming that it would have been Kansas City’s best shot to score against the borderline unhittable Madison Bumgarner or that Crawford could have slipped, bobbled the ball, or chunked the throw. The Royals were simply playing the odds and they were stacked heavily in the favor of Brandon Crawford and Buster Posey with two outs in the 9th inning of World Series Game 7.
Follow Andrew Doughty on Twitter @adoughty88
[MLB.com, Twitter: @WorldofIsaac]
