Trevor Rosenthal somehow gets Ryan Howard at first (GIF)

Jun 20, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Trevor Rosenthal (26) avoids Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard (6) during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 20, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Trevor Rosenthal (26) avoids Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard (6) during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports /
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trevor rosenthal
trevor rosenthal /

Here is a wacky one from the Phillies-Cardinals game. Trevor Rosenthal makes the play to get Ryan Howard at first despite never at any point really having control of the baseball.

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You want to say Rosenthal pushed the ball to Matt Adams but he doesn’t even really do that. He just sort of redirects the ball toward Adams. In the process of attempting and failing to pick up the ball, he happens to make it go where it needs to go.

Ryan Howard clearly is ticked at the end of the play, and it’s easy to see why. That is very close to being obstruction on Rosenthal. The umpire lets it go because Rosenthal is trying to get the ball and just happens to be tumbling and crawling.

Maybe the ump was too busy laughing to notice that it was supposed to be obstruction.

At the same time, you can’t feel too sorry for Ryan Howard, who needs to beat that play out in spite of the pitcher belly-flopping into the baseline.

It takes about ten seconds for the ball to roll all the way over to where Matt Adams can field it. Billy Hamilton could have rounded the bases twice, headed to the concession stand, ordered a hot dog and brought it back to the dugout in the time it took Howard to traverse those last few yards.

Rosenthal is giving max effort right there. Ryan Howard, not so much.

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