Los Angeles Angels first baseman Nolan Schanuel had his remarkable on-base streak snapped this week due to a retroactive scoring change, and one of the team’s announcers is disgusted with Major League Baseball over it.
Schanuel appeared to have safely reached base via either a hit or walk in 37 straight games to begin his MLB career when he drew a walk in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox on Saturday night. However, the Angels announced via social media that MLB reversed a single Schanuel had against the Baltimore Orioles on March 30 to an error.
Official Scoring Change: MLB has reversed Nolan Schanuel's single on 3/30 at BAL to a missed catch error.
As a result, Schanuel's on-base streak to begin his career has been retroactively ended at 30 games and finishes at the third-longest streak all-time to begin an MLB career. pic.twitter.com/ckmc0SUmzZ
— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) April 7, 2024
As a result, Schanuel’s official on-base streak ended at 30 games. Schanuel and the Angels thought for several days that that the 22-year-old was still chasing former New York Yankees catcher Truck Hannah, who reached base in 38 straight games to start his career in 1918. Instead, MLB determined that the streak ended a week ago.
The play that was changed to an error-was a hard-hit ground ball that would have gotten through the infield if not for a fantastic diving play from Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle. Mountcastle flipped the ball to pitcher Mike Baumann, who could not make the play.
Nolan Schanuel’s legendary on base streak to start a career has now been BROKEN because MLB decided to make a score change on this play from 7 DAYS AGO
Was ruled a hit but has now been changed to an error? What gives?? Hoping this can be reversed back pic.twitter.com/Y9iPNVDpAt
— swilly ☻ (@swillysports) April 6, 2024
Initially, the play was ruled an infield single. Angels play-by-play announcer Wayne Randazzo clearly believes that’s the way it should have stayed. He absolutely torched MLB during the Angels’ game against the Red Sox on Saturday night.
“Negative story after negative story, scandal after scandal, a fiasco in Oakland. You have these ridiculous-looking jerseys. You have the MLBPA challenging the league about the pitch clock today because of constant pitcher injuries. Not to mention, your global superstar is embroiled in a betting scandal,” Randazzo said. “On top of all that you have a young player trying to make a name for himself who has come up and reach base safely in every single game that he has played, and the league allows this scoring change to go on to end his streak, kill this story — a positive story that is happening in Major League Baseball. It is an absurdity.”
Angels play-by-play man Wayne Randazzo goes nuclear on MLB. ⚾️🎙️🔥🔥🔥pic.twitter.com/D568fDsjZI
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 7, 2024
Randazzo is not the only one who felt that way. It would have been one thing if the play was initially ruled an error, but it seems absurd that MLB went back and changed it a week later.
Schanuel was called up by the Angels not long after the MLB Draft last season. He reached base safely in all 29 games he played in last year.
