No. 1993.05.26 · Free Agency Era

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.

May 26, 1993

Fielding Fiascos

Jose Canseco with the Yuma Scorpions in 2011. He is not in a Rangers uniform, and this is not the fly ball at Cleveland Stadium.

Resolute, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

May 26, 1993, Cleveland Stadium, the Rangers in town and leading 3–0. In the bottom of the fourth Carlos Martinez led off with a fly to right. Jose Canseco drifted back, turned his head to find the wall, and lost the ball. It grazed his glove, struck him on the top of the head, and bounced over the fence. By rule it was a home run. Center fielder David Hulse, backing up the play, was laughing before Martinez had rounded second.

Cleveland won, 7–6. Canseco, who understood the clip would be everywhere, asked if anybody had a Band-Aid and said he would be on television for a month. He was right about the month. The play is funny in the way a baseball blooper is funny, and it is also a perfect small fielding entry: an outfielder looking for the fence instead of the ball, and the ball finding him anyway.

Martinez, whose homer it officially was, said he thought Canseco had it, and then he saw it hit him. That is the whole sequence. It does not need a second act.