A YouTuber dug into Game 5 of the 1969 World Series to spot oddities and quirks from a different baseball era. The footage showed players walking slowly off the mound to save energy, fans in sweaters running onto the field for high fives without getting tackled, and umpires sprinting down the foul line to make calls. Aggressive plays that would cause instant controversy today were just part of the game then. One hard slide into second and a push off the bag at first didn’t draw much attention from the broadcast or the umps. The physicality stood out, but so did the lack of reaction.
Another standout was the on-deck hitters all kneeling for their practice swings, which is almost never seen now. Boog Powell’s huge, dramatic swings also caught attention, especially since his only hit came off a weak check swing. Late in the game, two controversial hit-by-pitch calls created confusion. Frank Robinson took a ball to the leg but was told it was a foul tip. He disappeared into the dugout mid-at-bat, possibly to cool off or make a point. Minutes later, a Mets batter claimed he was hit, and the team offered up a ball with shoe polish as proof. The umpire reversed the call, prompting Orioles manager Earl Weaver to lose it, asking why one side got a do-over and not the other.
The whole game had an unpolished, unpredictable vibe. Calls were inconsistent, players policed themselves in ways that feel out of place now, and fan behavior would never fly in today’s stadiums. A random fan holding a pile of bird-related signs in the stands added the final strange touch. The video didn’t focus on the gameplay but highlighted how different the flow and culture of baseball were just a few decades ago.