Baseball is a game where the unexpected can happen on a nightly basis, and that is exactly what took place during one minor league game on Wednesday.
The Toledo Mud Hens beat the Columbus Clippers 4-0. The Mud Hens are the Detroit Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate, while the Clippers are the Cleveland Guardians’ Triple-A team.
During the game, Clippers prospect Ernie Clement took a massive swing at a pitch. He made contact with the ball, which went straight down and into the ground about a foot in front of home plate. What made this situation unique was that the ball that Clement hit remained stuck in its original landing spot through Clement’s follow-through.
The ball was technically a hit since it landed in fair territory, which may have made it one of the shortest-traveled fair balls ever.
Take a look.
One of the rarest things you will ever see in baseball…
Yes folks, that was a fair ball. 😂#LetsGoHens | #DetroitRoots pic.twitter.com/8wAyKmNPeb
— Toledo Mud Hens (@MudHens) August 18, 2022
Perhaps the dirt had been watered prior to the at-bat, making it soft enough for the ball to land and stay put. There also could have been an existing divot in the ground that Clement’s ball just happened to find.
In 11 games with Columbus entering Wednesday, Clement was hitting .231 with one home run and five RBI. He finished Wednesday 0-for-3 with one strikeout.
