Two Places at Once: Danny Jansen’s historic inning has anticlimactic end

Danny Jansen is at the plate. Danny Jansen is behind the plate. What happens now?
Aug 26, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen (28) makes his way to the dugout in a Boston Red Sox uniform while on the ball park score board when he was at bat during the postponed game back in June as a Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 26, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen (28) makes his way to the dugout in a Boston Red Sox uniform while on the ball park score board when he was at bat during the postponed game back in June as a Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
facebooktwitterreddit

When Shohei Ohtani made his way into MLB, everyone was in awe of his ability to do everything. He can throw heaters right by the best hitters from the mound. His athletic ability allowed him to play the outfield. Oh, and he hits absolute moonshots. This is unlike anything we'd seen since Babe Ruth.

What he can't do is play for two different teams at the same time. Only one man can do that. That's Danny Jansen.

On June 26, a game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox was suspended due to rain in the top of the second inning. Jansen was the starting catcher for the Blue Jays and was at the plate batting with a 1-0 count.

Then, just over a month later, Jansen was traded to the Red Sox just before the MLB trade deadline. One month later, the teams are finishing the game they started two months ago. Danny Jansen would now be up to bat and behind the plate simultaneously.

The only logical way this at bat could end is for Danny Jansen to pop up to Danny Jansen to end the inning. Unfortunately, that's not how it went. Although Danny Jansen did allow a runner to steal second, Danny Jansen did call the correct pitch to have Danny Jansen pop out to first base.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason

Danny Jansen's historic inning at Fenway Park ends anticlimactically

Okay, technically, Danny Jansen wasn't up to bat anymore. Daulton Varsho was the pinch-hitter who popped up to first. But Jansen started the at-bat as the batter and ended it behind the plate. For the first time in MLB history, a player technically played in the same game for the same team.

We've seen players traded to the team they're getting ready to play on the same day. The Chicago White Sox traded Paul DeJong to the Kansas City Royals earlier this year and he just walked right across the field after the trade was announced. It happens.

But this is certainly something new. Jansen also came up to bat in the bottom of the second inning. He also lined out to first base. That's two outs for Danny Jansen in the second inning.

feed