This blooper happened on October 3rd, during the second-to-last game of the season. The pitcher was Jim Gott, and rookie Mark Hulse was at the plate. First pitch gets fouled off straight into the dugout, nearly hitting a trainer wearing a fanny pack. The trainer jokes about being protected, then decides he’s had enough and leaves. Everyone in the dugout starts cracking up, including a man who may have been longtime coach Jimmy Reese, who once shared a room with Babe Ruth.
The next pitch gets fouled off to the exact same spot. Now security and dugout staff are unsure what to do. One guy even waves a towel like a white flag. Hulse seems confused by all the chaos. More fouls go the same way, each time triggering bigger reactions. A coach finally suggests they shift, but it’s too late for that now. Even the camera crew sneaks over for a better shot.
After several foul balls, Hulse finally grounds out. That was his last at-bat of the season. He would get Rookie of the Year votes the next year. The dugout crew returns to normal, laughing and shaking their heads. One of those rare moments where the game stops being serious and just becomes flat-out funny.