A Little League play took an odd turn when a runner, already out at second, stopped a double play by taking the throw off the helmet. He wasn’t sure if it was legal and neither was anyone else watching. The full-speed replay shows the shortstop going for the double play, only for the throw to bounce off the side of the runner’s head. It sparked a memory of a more painful incident involving Jorge Posada back in 2004.
In that game, Posada tried to break up a double play and took a sidearm throw straight to the face. The shortstop dropped his arm angle mid-throw, and the ball clipped Posada’s shoulder before slamming into his nose. It sent him to the hospital with a broken nose. He had surgery and missed a few games, but avoided the disabled list. Posada came back after four games. The Yankees lost that night. The Little League moment wasn’t nearly as serious, but it echoed the same awkward and unintentional way baseball throws can go wrong when runners try to break things up.