Every mistake, in order.

Clase and Ortiz Are Indicted

Federal prosecutors charged Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz with rigging pitches for bettors. The indictment alleges the bettors won at least $450,000. Both pitchers had already been placed on leave. The case was not finished when the charges were made public.

Cleveland Guardians

Hudson and the Immaculate Inning

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was one called strike from an immaculate inning when Marvin Hudson ruled a 96-mph fastball a ball. Yamamoto struck out the side anyway. The inning was no longer immaculate.

San Diego Padres · Los Angeles Dodgers

The Yankees' Fifth Inning

The Yankees led Game 5 of the World Series by five runs. Aaron Judge dropped a fly ball, Anthony Volpe bounced a throw, and Gerrit Cole did not cover first. The Dodgers scored five unearned runs and won the championship.

Los Angeles Dodgers · New York Yankees

The Ball in Betts's Glove

Mookie Betts caught Gleyber Torres's foul against the right-field wall. Two fans grabbed his glove and tried to take the ball. Torres was called out for interference, and the fans were barred from the next game.

Los Angeles Dodgers · New York Yankees

The 121st Loss

On September 27, 2024, the White Sox lost their 121st game and passed the 1962 Mets. They finished 41–121. The season included a franchise-record losing streak of 21.

Chicago White Sox · Detroit Tigers

Marcano's Lifetime Ban

Major League Baseball banned Tucupita Marcano for life for betting on baseball, including 25 bets on Pirates games while he was on Pittsburgh's roster. It was the first lifetime gambling ban since Pete Rose in 1989.

San Diego Padres · Pittsburgh Pirates

Hoberg Is Fired

Pat Hoberg, one of the league's most accurate ball-strike umpires, was fired for sharing legal betting accounts with a poker player who bet on baseball, and for deleting messages. Major League Baseball found no evidence he had bet on the game himself.

Mizuhara's Debts

During the Seoul Series, the Dodgers fired Ippei Mizuhara, Shohei Ohtani's interpreter. Mizuhara had stolen about $17 million from Ohtani's account to pay illegal gambling debts. He pleaded guilty. Prosecutors cleared Ohtani.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Reverse Boycott

On June 13, 2023, 27,759 people, the season's largest crowd, came to the Coliseum to tell John Fisher to sell the Athletics. They wore shirts that said SELL. The club left Oakland after the 2024 season.

Oakland Athletics · Tampa Bay Rays

Scherzer's Hand

In the fourth inning at Dodger Stadium, the umpires checked Max Scherzer's hand and glove, ruled them too sticky, and threw him out. Major League Baseball suspended him ten games. He said it was rosin and sweat.

New York Mets · Los Angeles Dodgers

A Game Ends on the Clock

On the first full day of the pitch clock, Cal Conley was not set in the box at the eight-second mark with the bases loaded in the ninth. Umpire John Libka called an automatic strike three, and a spring game ended in a tie.

Atlanta Braves · Boston Red Sox

The Check Swing

With the tying run on base in the ninth of a winner-take-all game, Wilmer Flores held up on an 0–2 slider. First-base umpire Gabe Morales ruled that he had swung. The Giants' season ended.

Los Angeles Dodgers · San Francisco Giants

Craig Chases Báez

A throw pulled Will Craig off first base with two outs. Instead of getting back to the bag, he chased Javier Báez toward home. Willson Contreras scored from second, and Báez ended up on second base.

Chicago Cubs · Pittsburgh Pirates

Cash Pulls Snell

Blake Snell led Game 6 of the World Series on 73 pitches when Kevin Cash took him out after a one-out single. Nick Anderson allowed the tying and go-ahead runs. The Dodgers won the championship.

Tampa Bay Rays · Los Angeles Dodgers

Phillips, Taylor, and the Relay

With two outs in the ninth of World Series Game 4, Brett Phillips singled, Chris Taylor bobbled the ball, and the relay home never got there. Randy Arozarena tripped on the way and still scored.

Los Angeles Dodgers · Tampa Bay Rays

Betts to the Dodgers

Boston sent Mookie Betts and David Price to Los Angeles for Alex Verdugo, Jeter Downs, and Connor Wong. A three-team version of the deal had already collapsed over a medical file.

Boston Red Sox · Los Angeles Dodgers · Minnesota Twins

Arozarena to Tampa

St. Louis traded Randy Arozarena and José Martínez for Matthew Liberatore and other pieces. That October Arozarena hit ten home runs in the postseason, a record, on the way to the World Series.

St. Louis Cardinals · Tampa Bay Rays

Turner in the Runner's Lane

In World Series Game 6, Trea Turner was called out for runner's-lane interference on a bunt, and a run came off the board. The rule's wording became the argument. Washington won the series anyway.

Washington Nationals · Houston Astros

Kershaw, Then Kelly

Dave Roberts brought Clayton Kershaw in to protect a two-run lead, and Anthony Rendon and Juan Soto homered back to back. Joe Kelly then pitched a second inning, and Howie Kendrick hit a grand slam.

Washington Nationals · Los Angeles Dodgers

Bauer Throws It Over the Fence

When Terry Francona came to take him out in the fifth, Trevor Bauer turned and threw the baseball over the center-field fence at Kauffman Stadium. He apologized after the game. Cleveland traded him within the week.

Cleveland Indians · Kansas City Royals

Davis Goes 0-for-54

In the middle of a seven-year, $161 million contract, Chris Davis went 0-for-54, the longest hitless streak by a position player in major-league history. The streak ended on April 13, 2019.

Baltimore Orioles

Three Calls, Four Innings

In the first four innings of a 2018 division-series game, first-base umpire Ángel Hernández had three calls overturned by replay. Two involved Didi Gregorius. One involved Gleyber Torres.

Boston Red Sox · New York Yankees

Archer to Pittsburgh

At the 2018 deadline Pittsburgh sent Tyler Glasnow, Austin Meadows, and Shane Baz to Tampa Bay for Chris Archer. Archer's earned-run average in Pittsburgh stayed over 5. Meadows and Glasnow became the players the prospects had been advertised as.

Pittsburgh Pirates · Tampa Bay Rays

Girardi Does Not Challenge

A two-out pitch was ruled to have hit Lonnie Chisenhall. Replays showed it had hit the bat. Joe Girardi did not challenge. Francisco Lindor then hit a grand slam.

New York Yankees · Cleveland Indians

Davis off Chapman

Joe Maddon brought Aroldis Chapman in to protect a three-run lead in the eighth inning of Game 7. Rajai Davis hit a two-run homer that tied it. The Cubs won in the tenth.

Chicago Cubs · Cleveland Indians

Five Relievers in the Ninth

Matt Moore left Game 4 of the 2016 division series with a 5–2 lead after eight innings. Bruce Bochy used five relievers in the ninth and did not use Santiago Casilla. The Cubs scored four runs, the last on Javier Báez's single.

Chicago Cubs · San Francisco Giants

Britton Stays in the Bullpen

Buck Showalter saved Zach Britton, who had converted all 47 of his saves with a 0.54 earned-run average, for a lead that never came. Ubaldo Jiménez gave up a three-run walk-off homer in the eleventh.

Baltimore Orioles · Toronto Blue Jays

Alvarez for Fields

On the 2016 trade deadline the Dodgers sent Yordan Alvarez, 19 and still without a professional game in the United States, to Houston for reliever Josh Fields.

Los Angeles Dodgers · Houston Astros

Tatis for Shields

The White Sox sent Fernando Tatis Jr., 17 and still without a professional game, and Erik Johnson to San Diego for James Shields and a large share of his contract.

San Diego Padres · Chicago White Sox

Miller for Swanson

Six months after drafting Dansby Swanson first overall, Arizona traded him, Ender Inciarte, and Aaron Blair to Atlanta for Shelby Miller. Miller went 3–12 with a 6.15 earned-run average the next year.

Arizona Diamondbacks · Atlanta Braves

Harvey Talks His Way Back

Terry Collins let Matt Harvey pitch the ninth of World Series Game 5 with a two-run lead. Harvey walked a man and gave up a double. Eric Hosmer then scored the tying run on a throw Lucas Duda did not get to the plate.

Kansas City Royals · New York Mets

The Throw That Hit the Bat

Russell Martin's throw back to the pitcher hit Shin-Soo Choo's bat. The ball was live, Rougned Odor scored from third, and the Rogers Centre threw trash.

Texas Rangers · Toronto Blue Jays

The Infield Fly in Atlanta

With the Braves rallying in a winner-take-all game, Sam Holbrook called the infield fly rule on a ball that fell in short left field. The crowd threw trash for nineteen minutes.

Atlanta Braves · St. Louis Cardinals

The Ball over Cruz

With two outs in the ninth of World Series Game 6, David Freese's ball went over Nelson Cruz's head and tied the game. Texas led again in the tenth. St. Louis won in the eleventh.

Texas Rangers · St. Louis Cardinals

Three Errors by Conrad

In Game 3 of the 2010 NLDS, Brooks Conrad made three errors. The last one, on a two-out grounder in the ninth, let the Giants take a lead they did not give back.

Atlanta Braves · San Francisco Giants

Galarraga's Imperfect Game

Armando Galarraga was one out from a perfect game when Jim Joyce called Jason Donald safe. Joyce saw the replay, and said he had missed it.

Detroit Tigers · Cleveland Indians

Castillo Drops the Popup

The Mets led by a run with two outs in the ninth when Luis Castillo dropped Alex Rodriguez's popup, then threw to the wrong base.

New York Mets · New York Yankees

Bautista for Diaz

On August 21, 2008, Pittsburgh sent Jose Bautista to Toronto on waivers for a player to be named. Four days later the player was catcher Robinzon Diaz.

Toronto Blue Jays · Pittsburgh Pirates

Cabrera to Detroit

At the 2007 winter meetings the Marlins sent Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis to Detroit for six players, headed by Cameron Maybin and Andrew Miller.

Detroit Tigers · Florida Marlins

Pierzynski Runs to First

In the ninth inning of the 2005 ALCS, strike three got to Josh Paul and the Angels left the field. Doug Eddings ruled the ball had touched the ground. A.J. Pierzynski ran to first.

Chicago White Sox · Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Roberts Steals Second

Down three games to none and a run in the ninth, the Red Sox sent Dave Roberts in to run. He stole second against Mariano Rivera, and Bill Mueller singled him home.

Boston Red Sox · New York Yankees

Grady Little Leaves Pedro In

Boston led Game 7 of the 2003 ALCS by three runs. Grady Little visited the mound, left a tiring Pedro Martinez in, and the Yankees tied the game.

Boston Red Sox · New York Yankees

The Bartman Game

Five outs from the World Series, a fan deflected a foul ball. The Cubs' shortstop then missed the double-play ball that would have ended the inning anyway.

Chicago Cubs · Florida Marlins

Byung-Hyun Kim, Two Nights

Byung-Hyun Kim gave up a game-tying homer in the ninth on consecutive nights of the 2001 World Series. Arizona won the series anyway.

Arizona Diamondbacks · New York Yankees

Rick Ankiel Loses the Plate

Rick Ankiel was twenty-one, a phenom, and ahead 6–0 in his first playoff start. In the third inning he threw five wild pitches and could not find the strike zone.

St. Louis Cardinals · Atlanta Braves

Knoblauch Stays on the Bag

In the twelfth inning of the 1998 ALCS, a throw hit Travis Fryman and rolled away. Chuck Knoblauch stayed at first base to argue. Enrique Wilson scored from first.

New York Yankees · Cleveland Indians

Mesa in the Ninth

The Indians led Game 7 by a run in the ninth. Jose Mesa allowed the tying sacrifice fly. Edgar Renteria's winning single, two innings later, came off Charles Nagy.

Cleveland Indians · Florida Marlins

Jeffrey Maier Reaches Over the Wall

A twelve-year-old reached over the wall and turned Derek Jeter's fly ball into a home run. The umpire out there never saw the hand.

New York Yankees · Baltimore Orioles

Albert Belle's Corked Bat

Umpires confiscated Albert Belle's bat in Chicago. A teammate crawled through the ceiling to swap it, and the replacement had the wrong name on it.

Cleveland Indians · Chicago White Sox

Pedro Martinez for Delino DeShields

The Dodgers needed a second baseman and traded Pedro Martinez to Montreal to get one. Pedro became one of the great pitchers of the era.

Los Angeles Dodgers · Montreal Expos

Carter off Williams

Mitch Williams came in to protect a one-run lead in Game 6. He walked Rickey Henderson, gave up a single to Paul Molitor, and Joe Carter hit the next well-struck pitch over the left-field fence.

Philadelphia Phillies · Toronto Blue Jays

The Ball Comes Off Canseco's Head

Carlos Martinez flew to right at Cleveland Stadium. The ball ticked Jose Canseco's glove, hit him on the head, and bounced over the fence for a home run.

Texas Rangers · Cleveland Indians

Lonnie Smith Stops at Third

In a scoreless Game 7, Lonnie Smith was on first when Terry Pendleton doubled. A decoy at second base held Smith at third. He never scored.

Atlanta Braves · Minnesota Twins

Bagwell for Larry Andersen

At the 1990 deadline the Red Sox traded a Double-A third baseman for a month of Larry Andersen. The third baseman was Jeff Bagwell.

Boston Red Sox · Houston Astros

Steve Lyons Drops His Pants

Steve Lyons beat out a bunt, slid into first, and unbuckled his pants on live television to shake the dirt out.

Chicago White Sox · Detroit Tigers

Hawkins Loses a No-Hitter

Andy Hawkins allowed no hits and lost, 4–0, on three errors in the eighth. A year later baseball decided eight innings was not a no-hitter.

New York Yankees · Chicago White Sox

Johnson for Langston

Seattle could not sign Mark Langston and sent him to Montreal for three pitchers. One of them was Randy Johnson, 25 years old and 6-foot-10.

Seattle Mariners · Montreal Expos

Smoltz for Alexander

On August 12, 1987, Detroit sent a 20-year-old in Double-A to Atlanta for Doyle Alexander. Alexander went 9–0 down the stretch. The prospect was John Smoltz.

Detroit Tigers · Atlanta Braves

The Ball Gets Through Buckner

The Red Sox were one out from a title when a ground ball went through Bill Buckner's legs. By then the lead was already gone.

Boston Red Sox · New York Mets

Denkinger Calls Orta Safe

With St. Louis one out from a championship, Don Denkinger called Jorge Orta safe at first. Replays showed he was out. The Cardinals never got the inning back.

Kansas City Royals · St. Louis Cardinals

Lasorda Pitches to Clark

With first base open in the ninth of the 1985 NLCS, Tommy Lasorda let Tom Niedenfuer pitch to Jack Clark. Clark hit the first pitch into the left-field seats.

Los Angeles Dodgers · St. Louis Cardinals

Gossage Pitches to Gibson

In the eighth inning of the 1984 World Series, Dick Williams wanted Goose Gossage to walk Kirk Gibson. Gossage talked him out of it. Gibson hit a three-run homer.

Detroit Tigers · San Diego Padres

Durham Lets It Through

One out from a pennant-clinching chance slipping away, Tim Flannery's grounder went through Leon Durham's legs. San Diego scored four and won the National League.

Chicago Cubs · San Diego Padres

The Pine Tar Game

George Brett's go-ahead homer was taken off the board because there was too much pine tar on the bat. The league president put the homer back.

Kansas City Royals · New York Yankees

Perry, Ejected

Dave Phillips ejected Gaylord Perry for a spitball without looking at the ball. Perry said it was a forkball. The league suspended him for ten days anyway.

Seattle Mariners · Boston Red Sox

Randle Blows It Foul

Lenny Randle dropped to the Kingdome turf and blew a slow roller across the foul line. The umpire called it foul, then changed the call after the Royals protested.

Seattle Mariners · Kansas City Royals

Disco Demolition Night

The White Sox blew up a crate of disco records between games of a doubleheader. Fans took the field, a fire started, and the second game was forfeited.

Chicago White Sox · Detroit Tigers

Dent over the Monster

In the one-game playoff at Fenway, Bucky Dent, batting ninth, hit a three-run homer over the Green Monster. He had borrowed Mickey Rivers's bat after fouling a pitch off his foot.

New York Yankees · Boston Red Sox

Seaver to Cincinnati

On the night of the trading deadline, the Mets sent Tom Seaver to Cincinnati for four players, and Dave Kingman to San Diego in a separate deal.

New York Mets · Cincinnati Reds · San Diego Padres

Herb Washington Is Picked Off

Charlie Finley signed a world-class sprinter who had never played baseball and used him only as a pinch runner. In the World Series, Mike Marshall picked him off.

Oakland Athletics · Los Angeles Dodgers

Ten-Cent Beer Night

Cleveland sold beer for a dime, the limit collapsed, and the crowd stormed the field. The umpires forfeited the game to Texas.

Cleveland Indians · Texas Rangers

Nolan Ryan for Jim Fregosi

The Mets traded Nolan Ryan and three others to the Angels for Jim Fregosi. Ryan left with seven no-hitters. Fregosi was gone in a season and a half.

New York Mets · California Angels

A Black Cat at Shea

A black cat walked in front of the Cubs' dugout at Shea. Chicago lost, 7–1. The standings, not the cat, are what the collapse was.

Chicago Cubs · New York Mets

Three Errors in One Inning

In the fifth inning of World Series Game 2, Willie Davis lost two fly balls in the sun and threw one away. Three errors, three unearned runs, and Jim Palmer's shutout.

Los Angeles Dodgers · Baltimore Orioles

Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas

Cincinnati's Bill DeWitt called Frank Robinson an old thirty and traded him to Baltimore. The next year Robinson won the Triple Crown.

Cincinnati Reds · Baltimore Orioles

The Phillies' 1964 Collapse

Philadelphia led the league by 6½ games with twelve to play. Gene Mauch kept running his aces out on short rest. The Phillies lost ten in a row.

Philadelphia Phillies · Cincinnati Reds · St. Louis Cardinals

Brock for Broglio

The Cubs traded Lou Brock to the Cardinals for Ernie Broglio in a six-player deal. Brock finished with 3,023 hits. Broglio won seven games in Chicago.

Chicago Cubs · St. Louis Cardinals

Throneberry Misses the Base

Marv Throneberry hit what looked like a two-run triple and was called out for missing first. He later admitted he had missed second, too.

New York Mets · Chicago Cubs

Twelve Perfect Innings

Harvey Haddix retired 36 batters in a row and lost in the thirteenth. Joe Adcock's ball cleared the fence, and the next day the league president made it a double.

Pittsburgh Pirates · Milwaukee Braves

The Shot Heard 'Round the World

Bobby Thomson's pennant-winning homer off Ralph Branca is one of the famous swings in the sport. The Giants had stolen the sign.

New York Giants · Brooklyn Dodgers

Eddie Gaedel Walks

Bill Veeck sent 3-foot-7 Eddie Gaedel to the plate in a child's uniform. Gaedel walked on four pitches. The league voided the contract the next day.

St. Louis Browns · Detroit Tigers

Slaughter Scores from First

Enos Slaughter scored from first on Harry Walker's double in Game 7. The relay went through Johnny Pesky, who said he hesitated. Later viewings say the run was coming anyway.

St. Louis Cardinals · Boston Red Sox

Owen's Dropped Third Strike

The Dodgers were one strike from tying the World Series. Mickey Owen missed the third strike, and the Yankees scored four runs.

Brooklyn Dodgers · New York Yankees

Medwick and the Fruit Barrage

After a hard slide in Game 7, Detroit fans threw fruit, bottles, and vegetables at Joe Medwick until the commissioner took him out of the game.

St. Louis Cardinals · Detroit Tigers

Hack Wilson Loses the Ball in the Sun

The Cubs led Game 4 of the 1929 World Series by eight runs. In the seventh, Hack Wilson lost a fly ball in the sun, and the Athletics scored ten.

Chicago Cubs · Philadelphia Athletics

Ruth Is Out at Second

The 1926 World Series ended with Babe Ruth thrown out at second. He said he was stealing on his own. Other accounts say a hit-and-run was on.

New York Yankees · St. Louis Cardinals

Three Men on Third

Babe Herman doubled off the right-field screen at Ebbets Field and arrived at third base to find two teammates already there.

Brooklyn Dodgers · Boston Braves

Peckinpaugh's Eight Errors

The American League's Most Valuable Player committed eight errors in the 1925 World Series, two of them in a rainy seventh game the Senators led.

Washington Senators · Pittsburgh Pirates

The Sale of Babe Ruth

The Red Sox sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees for $100,000, paid in installments. The Broadway story that explains the sale is a myth.

Boston Red Sox · New York Yankees

Zimmerman Chases Collins Home

In the sixth game of the 1917 World Series, nobody covered home plate, so Heinie Zimmerman ran Eddie Collins across it himself.

New York Giants · Chicago White Sox

The Double No-Hitter Breaks

Hippo Vaughn and Fred Toney both pitched nine no-hit innings. In the tenth, a single, a dropped fly, and a throw home the catcher was not looking for ended it.

Chicago Cubs · Cincinnati Reds

Snodgrass's Muff

With the Giants one win from a title, Fred Snodgrass dropped a routine fly to open the tenth. He then made a fine catch that the nickname forgot.

New York Giants · Boston Red Sox

Germany Schaefer Steals First

With the game tied in the ninth, Germany Schaefer stole second, got nothing for it, and stole first base back. The rules eventually made the trick illegal.

Washington Senators · Chicago White Sox

Merkle's Boner

Fred Merkle, nineteen and starting in place of an injured regular, failed to touch second on a game-winning single. The league made the teams replay it, and the Cubs won the pennant.

New York Giants · Chicago Cubs

Chesbro's Wild Pitch

Jack Chesbro had already won 41 games. In the ninth of the pennant game, a spitball got past his catcher, and Boston scored the run that ended it.

New York Highlanders · Boston Americans