Watch: Yankees Fall Victim to Fantastic Hidden Ball Trick in Key Moment
It’s one of those plays where you just say to yourself, “How does anyone fall for that?” But they do, every year.
It’s the hidden ball trick, and Tyler Wade of the New York Yankees is its latest victim.
It happened in the Yankees’ 6-5 road win over the Angels on Wednesday night. In the top of the seventh inning, Brett Gardner drove a ball deep to center field on which Mike Trout made an incredible over-the-shoulder catch.
That catch in itself is worth a highlight.
This play was made possible by: pic.twitter.com/PLVjUR2Y9l
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) April 25, 2019
Trout threw the relay in to shortstop Andrelton Simmons, who ran the ball into the infield while Wade sauntered back to second.
But Wade was a little too nonchalant about it. Simmons tagged him with the ball in his glove and held it there as Wade lifted his foot off the bag.
A lion stalks his prey. pic.twitter.com/1zxcHG9a49
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) April 25, 2019
The umpire initially said Wade was safe, but the Angels appealed the call. After a review, he was ruled out for an inning-ending double play.
That ended a Yankees rally that already had plated two runs in the seventh to tie the game at 5-5.
“I was sure of it,” Simmons told MLB.com. “I wasn’t sure the replay was going to have an angle, so I’m just happy they made the right call.”
And can you believe this: After Trout threw the ball in, Simmons pulled a hidden ball trick on Wade, and it worked. Replay shows Wade was off the bag when tagged by Simmons. Incredible. #Yankees pic.twitter.com/eKNPAOOwpu
— Tom Hanslin (@TomHanslin) April 25, 2019
Angels manager Brad Ausmus didn’t see it but trusted his shortstop, whom teammates call “Simba.”
“He signaled to me to look at it,” Ausmus told MLB.com. “We didn’t get an answer from our instant replay, but with it being the seventh inning, I just trusted Simba and decided to have them take a look.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/cMrTgQQ4tl
Wade would redeem himself in the ninth inning with a one-out single. He then stole second and scored what turned out to be the game-winner on a D.J. LeMahieu RBI single.
In addition to his trickery, Simmons had a huge game, going 2 for 4 with two home runs and two RBIs.
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