Baseball fans were taken aback during the MLB Home Run Derby on Monday night, encountering something quite unexpected.
In a surprising twist during the final round, Junior Kaminero of the Tampa Bay Rays seemed to clash with Cal Lowry, a standout player from the Seattle Mariners.
Kaminero hit a ball into the left field, but a fielder who should have retrieved it didn’t quite make the catch. It reminded ESPN commentators of a similar moment from around 40 years ago involving Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg. The key difference? Back then, there were high school teams on the field that interfered with play.
The crowd was astonished.
Kaminero was still in the fight for the Derby title, even though he faced some challenges. However, Lowry ultimately triumphed with a score of 18-15.
Interestingly, Lowry, affectionately dubbed “Big Damper,” made history as the first catcher to win this event in four decades. He is only the second Mariners player to achieve this, following in the footsteps of Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., who was present in the dugout watching it unfold.
“Anyone involved in baseball has surely dreamed of this,” said Lowry’s father. “Both my son and I have. As a parent, your greatest hope is to see your child happy, so you kind of experience it through their eyes.”
Lowry made it to the finals after a tiebreaker with Brent Luker from the Athletics, hitting a longer home run at 470.53 feet compared to Rooker’s 470.61 feet.
The following day, Lowry will represent the Mariners in the All-Star Game, which is set to take place at Truist Park, the home of the Atlanta Braves, and will be broadcast on FOX at 8 PM.
