https://www.mlb.com/cut4/miguel-cabrera-pulled-off-the-hidden-ball-trick?partnerId=ed-13470480-1130583353

I'm looking forward to baseball season this year and ran into this story. Miguel Cabrera pulls off the old hidden ball play in a spring training game. This is not tried very often because it hardly ever works. I played a lot of baseball (and later softball) during my younger days and have a couple of personal experiences with this... one worked, the other didn’t.

First one was in Babe Ruth baseball (ages 13-15 for those not familiar), was successful and pretty uneventful. I was playing 3rd base, a guy I knew ended up there after a hit, I didn’t throw the ball back to the pitcher, he took a small lead, everyone (including the other team’s bench and the umps) knew I still had the ball, I tagged him out, and we all laughed about it.

Second time was in American Legion ball (ages 16-19, I think) and was a similar situation with a very different outcome. I was playing shortstop and a runner ended up at 2nd base after a hit. The throw comes to me from the outfield and I take the ball to the pitcher, but don’t give it to him. I tell him not to get back on the mound and we’d give the hidden ball trick a try. There ended up being several problems with this attempt. (1) The umpires were totally unaware I still had the ball, so they weren’t looking for this, (2) the effing pitcher decided to go back to the mound, which I think is against the rules and I should have just called time at that point, and (3) I know the dude (Jeff) on 2nd base and we’re not exactly friends, so this is probably not ending up the same as my other experience with the hidden ball trick. I decide to try it anyway, put the tag on the Jeff (ball in hand, holding it on his back), and repeatedly yell for the ump to look. Jeff turns and throws a haymaker at me (which I luckily avoid), I politely tell him I’ve got the effing ball and he’s out, the umpire tells me “we’re not having any of that” and to throw the ball to the pitcher... and then all hell breaks loose. Jeff and I don’t end up having a problem (somehow), but pretty much everyone else does. Both benches empty and some guys exchange pleasantries. Our coach yells at the ump that Jeff should be out, their coach (also happens to be Jeff’s dad) tells our coach to shut the F up and that it should be a balk (which I think is actually correct). These 2 guys end up going nose to nose screaming and belly bumping each other (think 2 guys with physiques similar to sumo wrestlers with hats on backwards). People from the stands are yelling at each other and some even find their way onto the field. It ends with the 2 coaches being ejected from the park, the game being completed, us having a new coach for the remainder of the season, and Jeff and I actually turning out to be friendly towards each other going forward.

Anybody else have any good baseball related stories?