How Danny Jansen played for Red Sox, Blue Jays in one MLB game

BOSTON (AP) — Former Blue Jays and present Pink Sox catcher Danny Jansen didn’t simply play for each groups in the identical recreation — a primary in Main League Baseball historical past.

He batted for each groups in the identical inning.

In a statistical oddity made doable by two of the quirkiest entities on Earth — the baseball rule guide and the New England climate — Jansen turned the one participant ever to look on either side of a baseball field rating when he took the sphere for Boston on Monday within the resumption of a rain-delayed recreation he began for Toronto in June, earlier than he was traded to the Pink Sox.

“I used to be stunned after I came upon I used to be the primary one to do it,” Jansen mentioned after going 1 for 4 for Boston — plus a part of one other at-bat for Toronto — within the Blue Jays’ 4-1 victory. “It’s cool, leaving a stamp like that on the sport. It’s attention-grabbing, and it’s unusual. And I’m grateful for the chance to have that.”

Taking part in for Toronto on June 26, Jansen fouled off the one pitch he noticed from Boston starter Kutter Crawford within the second inning earlier than the tarps have been known as out. On July 27, Jansen was traded from Toronto to Boston for 3 minor leaguers.

After the potential of Jansen turning into a baseball first turned a trigger celebre across the sport, Pink Sox supervisor Alex Cora mentioned final week he would play Jansen when the suspended recreation resumed, saying “Let’s make historical past.”

“It was a really cool second, simply to be a part of it,” Cora mentioned Monday. “I don’t know if it’s going to occur once more. It needs to be form of like the right storm for that to occur — beginning with the storm. And I’m glad that everyone loved it.”

Earlier than the sport resumed at 2:06 p.m. Monday — a delay of 65 days, 18 hours and 35 minutes, Pink Sox media relations coordinator Daveson Perez introduced the adjustments within the Fenway Park press field: “Pinch-hitting for Danny Jansen: Daulton Varsho. Defensive adjustments: Danny Jansen now at catcher.”

With Jansen behind the plate, Nick Pivetta struck Varsho out to finish the at-bat Jansen began. Then Jansen got here up for the Pink Sox with two outs within the backside half of the body, getting a pleasant cheer from a sparse makeup-game crowd, and hit a lazy liner to first base to finish the inning.

“Increase till that time, perhaps it was a bit unusual,” Jansen mentioned. “When you stepped within the field and it was ‘Sport on,’ I used to be simply making an attempt to remain current, keep locked in.”

Jansen’s spouse and children and a few associates have been there to see him declare his place in baseball’s report books — or within the footnotes, at the very least. After they arrived, they noticed his image on the scoreboard carrying a Blue Jays cap.

“After I walked on the market right now, yeah, I noticed myself up there, for certain,” Jansen mentioned. “That was simply form of like, ‘Effectively, that’s the place we’re at.’”

Earlier than the primary pitch, the umpires held an prolonged dialog at house with the coaches who introduced out a number of the weirdest lineup playing cards in baseball historical past. Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider mentioned he was glad to see his former participant, a lifetime backup and a profession .222 hitter, get some consideration.

“I believe it’s cool for him to form of go down within the report books as the primary participant to try this,” Schneider mentioned. “I’ve recognized Jano perpetually, and it’s one thing cool that he can all the time form of say he was the primary at, and he’s good at bizarre stuff. Fairly cool for him.”

Jansen had a single within the fifth inning — Boston’s first hit of the sport. He had a flyout within the seventh after which got here up with two outs within the ninth and a runner on second, however he struck out on a checked swing to finish the sport.

The 29-year-old right-handed hitter mentioned he wore two jerseys within the recreation (three, when you rely the Toronto one he wore in June). He’ll preserve one for himself and ship one to the Baseball Corridor of Fame; an authenticator was readily available to tag all of Jansen’s gear.

The Cooperstown shrine mentioned it requested the scorecard from official scorer Bob Ellis, who additionally was working the sport when it began in June.

“This scorecard shall be an awesome software to doc and illustrate this historical past, displaying Danny Jansen’s title on each groups,” Corridor spokesman John Shestakofsky mentioned.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb