NEW YORK – Umpires used the first video review of the season to rule that pinch hitter Jorge Posada’s drive to right field was a home run in the Yankees’ game against the Cleveland Indians on Sunday.
Posada was batting for Jose Molina when he sent a fly to right off Jensen Lewis with one out in the seventh inning of the Yankees’ 7-3 win.
Ex-Arizona Wildcat Trevor Crowe leaped at the wall, but the ball was deflected by a fan and bounced off the top and then off Crowe’s glove before falling into play.
“I was hoping the ball would carry the way it’s been carrying,” said Posada, who ended up with the 20th homer in the first four games at the new Yankee Stadium. “I didn’t think it was gone, though.”
The game was delayed about 8 1/2 minutes overall.
The play brought back memories of Derek Jeter’s home run against Baltimore in the 1996 playoffs, when young fan Jeffrey Maier reached over the wall in nearly the same spot at the old Yankee Stadium to catch a drive above Orioles right-fielder Tony Tarasco.
Video replay wasn’t available back then – it’s in its first full season of use by Major League Baseball after getting a trial run late last season.
Posada hesitated near first base because he couldn’t see the ball until it hit the warning track, then kept running. He didn’t know it was a home run until he was past second base and approaching Cody Ransom, who had held up at third. That’s when Posada saw third base umpire Mike Estabrook signal home run, giving the Yankees a 4-3 lead.
Crowe ran toward the infield indicating a fan had interfered, and Indians manager Eric Wedge came out to dispute the call.
“I didn’t take into account that I’d have to get above the fan to get the ball,” Crowe said. “I watched the replay and it looked like his glove was outstretched on top of mine. It all happened so fast.”