A Double-Hustle Play
Somewhere, David Eckstein was doing something: eating a sandwich, perhaps, or polishing the wood surfaces of his home with lemon-scented chemicals. It’s impossible to say exactly. What we do know, or can at least safely assume, is that he paused for a moment, a gust of cool air sweeping over him from an unknown source, a shudder of momentary weakness in the arms and stiffness in the fingers. Something felt off. He scanned his surroundings, trying to make out the difference, to sort out the nature of this new universe. And then the truth of it all revealed itself unto him: some of his grit had been expropriated.
Marvel at the precision of the ground ball, hit smartly enough for the ball to speed into the hole but gently enough for that hole to close in on it. Watch how the hit pulls the throw up the line, giving Brendan Ryan the opportunity to coast into first with his head up. Notice how the Oakland infielders scatter in the face of this strident display of pluck and determination, leading each of them to individually pause and reflect on how they have wasted their superior athletic skills. As they spit and curse the earth that bore them, Ryan is already nearly at second. Then Ryan slides superfluously not once, but twice, dirtying each leg in the process. Finally, he pops up to his feet immediately, already prepared to roundhouse kick any would-be ninjas in the vicinity. What you’re seeing is textbook fundamentals.
Justin Smoak is so joyful he uncurls both halves of his lips as far as they can muster. Third base coach Jeff Datz, ordinarily focusedon the myriad of instructions he is bound by his occupation to convey, can only wander over and pat Ryan on the back. Not pictured in the clip is the moment when Eric Sogard’s fabulous eyeglasses are cast forcibly from his face by the heart and spirit of Ryan’s second slide, delaying the game by several minutes as he hunts for them in the outfield grass. Nor is the rare honorary walk delivered by a stunned and reverent home umpire Mike Winters.
A true, unquestionable double-hustle play. I tried to mark the event in my calendar, dear readers, but I found my hands, like Eckstein’s, trembling.
Patrick Dubuque is a wastrel and a general layabout. Many of the sites he has written for are now dead. Follow him on Twitter @euqubud.
Wait a second. Where are all the players on the A’s? Were they playing a shift with 6 outfielders?
My dad and I were trying to figure this out yesterday, and thanks to the wonders of DVR, we figured out that the Oakland second baseman had gone over behind first, while the Shortstop lolligagged around the 6 hole and moped, not paying attention to the game, when Ryan went to second, the 3rd baseman ran to cover second, and neither the pitcher, nor shortstop could be bothered to go cover 3rd.