Spring training bloopers by Tigers result in rare HR to 2B for Rays OF Kameron Misner
The Detroit Tigers defense is in spring training form, as is the official scorer in Port Charlotte, Florida.
A comedy of errors in the Detroit outfield alongside some generous Grapefruit League scoring led to a rare home run to second base in Sunday's spring training game between the Tigers and Tampa Bay Rays.
The beneficiary of the madness was Rays outfielder Kameron Misner, who has spent all but 30 games of his professional baseball career in the minor leagues. With the Tigers leading 9-4 in the second inning, Misner hit a seemingly routine pop-up to shallow center field off Tigers pitcher Calvin Coker. It ended up being anything but routine.
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As the ball fell back to the turf, four Tigers defenders converged on it, but none of them secured it. Shortstop Andrew Navigato made the best of four poor efforts on the ball but missed it as he dove to the ground. He then sent it into right field with a heel kick off the turf that would make Lionel Messi proud — if it was intentional, that is.
It was not.
You want the Kameron Misner inside-the-parker?
You're getting it 😂 pic.twitter.com/xTXecd7OR7— Rays The Roof (@RaysTheRoofTB) February 25, 2024
As Tigers defenders gave chase, Misner hustled around first base, then second, then third. He crossed home plate standing without a play at the plate. The ball had barely made it back to the infield.
The official scoring ruled the play a home run to second base. Somehow, the scorer did not determine that an error occurred.
Per MLB, here's what constitutes an error:
"A fielder is given an error if, in the judgment of the official scorer, he fails to convert an out on a play that an average fielder should have made. Fielders can also be given errors if they make a poor play that allows one or more runners to advance on the bases."
All of the above took place on the play. But Misner instead added a home run to his spring-training tally while Navigato avoided posting an E. Sadly for Coker, he had a home run, hit and earned run added to his pitching record.
The home run continued a Rays rally from a 9-3 deficit in a game that ended in a 9-9 tie.
