Little League rules say three strikes you’re out. There’s no chance to run to first on a dropped third strike (or there wasn’t until the decade of the 2010s in the Little League tournament). In regular baseball, though, the batter becomes a runner on a dropped third strike (unless first base is occupied with fewer than two out). The failure of the defense to recognize that the third strike wasn’t caught led to this wacky play, described in detail by Don Mankowski, a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (www.sabr.org).
Wilson’s Tigers trailed the Twins 2-1 in the seventh inning of an April 25, 1970 game at Bloomington, Minnesota. Batting against Jim Kaat, Wilson swung and missed a third strike, and it looked as if the inning were over.
But not so fast! Kaat’s catcher Paul Ratliff didn’t hold on to the ball and umpire John Rice refused to call Wilson out. Ratliff rolled the ball back toward the mound and made himself scarce. Noting that the entire Minnesota team had left the field, Wilson took off around the bases.
Two Twins [is that redundant?] had the semblance of mind to hurry back on the field as Wilson tore around third. Brant Alyea grabbed the ball and threw to Leo Cardenas, covering at home plate. Wilson was caught between third and home, and retired by Cardenas’ return throw to Alyea. Wilson, who was throwing a three-hitter, pulled a hamstring muscle on the play and had to leave the game.
The Tigers managed to tie the game at 3-3 in the top of the ninth, but afterward Harmon Killebrew singled home Tony Oliva to win the game.
Because Alyea just happened to be the leftfielder and Cardenas the shortstop, the play on Wilson had to be scored K767, that is, Strikeout: putout leftfielder to shortstop to leftfielder. Ratliff got an error in there, so maybe that’s not quite correct.