JB Shuck has played in 79 career MLB games and taken 196 at-bats. He has never hit a home run. The Los Angeles Angels outfielder thought he had his first career big fly on Wednesday night, but it was taken away after the umpires overturned it.
Shuck was facing Chicago Cubs starter Matt Garza in the bottom of the second. With two outs and the bases empty, Shuck crushed a ball down the right field line. He circled the bases and accepted high-fives in the dugout for what would have been his first career home run. But Garza and first baseman Anthony Rizzo instantly complained about the call, feeling that the ball went foul by the pole. It turns out they were right.
The umpires decided to review the home run and determined that the ball indeed went foul. Shuck had to come back to the plate and grounded out to end the inning. Some way to lose your first career home run, huh?
Here’s a screencap that barely shows the ball crossing in front of the foul pole:
Shuck shouldn’t be too disappointed. Even though he got to enjoy his first career trot around the bases, he had to know it was a bad call. Even his teammates Hank Conger and Howie Kendrick were giggling in the dugout because they knew he got away with one, at least temporarily.
