Man, I thought Cruz was going to catch that

[SWC75]

If he does, the Rangers win the World Series. But instead of continuing to run to the ball, he gave it a little hop at the end, which slowed him down. Now it's extra innings. Is that the play everyone will remember?

 

[Orangeyes]

If he does, the Rangers win the World Series. But instead of continuing to run to the ball, he gave it a little hop at the end, which slowed him down. Now it's extra innings. Is that the play everyone will remember?

He should have caught it, misjudged. Reminded me of Bobby Abreu when he was with the Yankees and shy of the right field wall. This is the World Series you have to go all out on every play.

 

[Orangeyes]

Freese with a clutch triple in the 9th and HR in extra innings, wow. He's a Missouri boy, imagine how many times he played out those scenes as a kid. It sure made up for that dropped pop up earlier in the game. Two hands son, two hands.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Freese is on fire.

 

[SWC75]

He should have caught it, misjudged. Reminded me of Bobby Abreu when he was with the Yankees and shy of the right field wall. This is the World Series you have to go all out on every play.

It's like these guys who do the headfirst slide into first base to beat out a throw. When you lose contact with the ground, you slow down, not speed up. I think Cruz was afraid of the wall and preferred to jump against it rather than run into it. But he wasn't as close to it as he thought.

 

[Orangeyes]

Too bad these games aren't on earlier for the kids. That was one for the ages.

 

[Orangeyes]

It's like these guys who do the headfirst slide into first base to beat out a throw. When you lose contact with the ground, you slow down, not speed up. I think Cruz was afraid of the wall and preferred to jump against it rather than run into it. But he wasn't as close to it as he thought.

The way the position is taught, when a ball is hit over your head near the fence you should turn your back on it, sight the fence then turn back when your fielding instincts tell you, you went far enough. You can always come in a step, lot easier than Cruz' approach.

 

[bevosu]

Baseball fans..that was a baseball game!

 

[Marsh01]

If he does, the Rangers win the World Series. But instead of continuing to run to the ball, he gave it a little hop at the end, which slowed him down. Now it's extra innings. Is that the play everyone will remember?

He really should have caught it. He made a bad break towards the ball and should have been under it as opposed to having to leap at it. Itwas a pretty paultry effort I thought but the pressure of the moment probably played a factor. It looked like it surprised him when it came off the bat.

Phenomenal game. One for the ages and I am glad I stayed up for it.

 

[Orangeyes]

You can see here in the video he had plenty of time to get under it and he just slowed up and took the wrong route, misjudged as they say. Easy to say from the comfort of our living rooms because we can't see what the fielder sees but for the great ones, that's a can of corn.
Click

 

[jekelish]

One of the St. Louis beat writers was on Mike and Mike this morning and pointed something else out: Freese likes to hit to the opposite field, so where Cruz was playing to begin with was poor position.

 

[SWC75]

One of the St. Louis beat writers was on Mike and Mike this morning and pointed something else out: Freese likes to hit to the opposite field, so where Cruz was playing to begin with was poor position.

Tom Verducci agrees:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...s.rangers.game6/index.html?xid=siextra_102811

 

[jekelish]

I think it's pretty harsh to compare Cruz to Buckner. He should have made the catch, but it's a completely difference play (obviously). Buckner had a slow dribbler. Cruz had a ball rocketed to right field and hit off the wall, and while he absolutely SHOULD have made the catch, it still would have been a nice defensive play. There was nothing routine about that ball.

 

[SWC75]

I think it's pretty harsh to compare Cruz to Buckner. He should have made the catch, but it's a completely difference play (obviously). Buckner had a slow dribbler. Cruz had a ball rocketed to right field and hit off the wall, and while he absolutely SHOULD have made the catch, it still would have been a nice defensive play. There was nothing routine about that ball.

You are right about that. if he'd caught it he would have been one of the all-time post season heroes with all those home runs plus making a great catch to win the series. But if he'd positioned himself right, no problem and if he'd kept running he would have gotten there anyway. He just kind of bailed out at the end.

 

[Orangeyes]

Too bad these games aren't on earlier for the kids. That was one for the ages.

Ha ha KTTC thinks so too
Baseball buzzing about game for the ages‎

 

[PoppyHart]

I think Canseco would have looked better on that play.