Instant Replay Used On A-Rod Hit For First Time!

Mark September 3rd, 2008 down in the Major League history books as the night instant replay was baptized to the game of baseball. The ball in question was hit by no one other than Yankees 3rd baseman, Alex Rodriguez, in the ninth inning against the Rays. The Yankees were leading 6 to 3 in the top of the ninth with Bobby Abreu standing on second base as A-Rod came to the plate.

The 2-2 pitch was delivered by Tampa Bay Rays reliever Troy Perciva and was driven over the left field foul pole giving the Yanks the lead 8-3. Rays catcher Dioner Navarro immediately protested the call and asked for the play to be reviewed. Rays manager Joe Maddon also gave his two cents worth demanding that the play be reviewed.

And there you have it. After a quick meeting around home plate, the umpires decided to uphold the A-Rod homerun and review the call on the field. The replay showed that the ball was hit inches above the foul pole but tailed right at the last possible second landing in fair territory. The call on the field stood and the Yankees went on to beat the Rays 8-4 in this historical game. 

Not only was the game historical for  Major League baseball, A-Rod also picked up his own chunk of MLB history.  A-Rod’s 31st homerun surpassed Mike Schmidt on the all-time homerun list breaking Mike’s record of 549 all-time jacks.

One shot, two broken records. Not too bad for the Yank they call A-Rod.