Baseball Gets Stuck in Grass During Minor League Game

A baseball buried itself in the outfield grass during a Double-A game, creating one of the most bizarre plays anyone has ever seen at a ballpark.

During the seventh inning of Biloxi's 11-3 win over Montgomery, Rays prospect Austin Overn hit what looked like a normal extra-base hit into right field. Biloxi right fielder Damon Keith slid to cut off the ball before it reached the corner.

That's when things got weird. Keith slid directly on top of the baseball, driving it straight into the grass at Montgomery's Riverwalk Stadium like a nail into wood.

Baseballs have gotten stuck under walls and wedged into Wrigley Field's ivy over the years. But stuck in regular outfield grass? That was a first.

Keith couldn't pull the ball out of the ground after his slide. Overn rounded the bases easily for his second homer of the day, finishing with four hits in the game.

The real show came after the play. An umpire and players from both teams walked out to examine the buried ball, which was barely visible on camera.

Multiple players tried pulling it free without success. After several minutes of delay, Biloxi first baseman Blake Burke finally yanked it out of the turf. The 6-foot-3, 236-pound Burke was the only one strong enough to finish the job.

Sunny's Take

Coach Matt Lipka carried the mud-caked baseball off the field like a trophy. The players were laughing, the crowd was buzzing, and everyone had just witnessed something they'd never see again.

Keith stayed in the game despite getting banged up on the slide, showing the toughness minor leaguers bring every night. Overn got credit for what might be the easiest inside-the-park home run ever recorded.

This is why baseball remains America's most delightfully unpredictable game.