Naturally, when baseball fans think of the hidden ball trick, it involves a few things that is supposed to trick the baserunner into getting off base and getting tagged out.
It never, and I mean NEVER, happens with no runners on base.
Over the weekend, Chinese Professional Baseball League All-Star Game was going on when former MLB pitcher Mitch Lively decided to bring out a trick during the game. With not a single soul on base in the second inning, he attempted a hidden-ball trick aimed at fooling the batter.
Lively hid the baseball with his left index finger while exposing the empty glove and empty right hand to the batter. It did not work as the ump got up from his position and the pitch delivered was smashed to the outfield.
As you can see, the hitter pretended he was going to call time, but then knocked a base hit to deep left field. The hit would not stand because the ump ruled that the windup was illegal and blew the play dead.
Lively may have failed at his hidden ball trick, but he still came away as the winning pitcher on this day.
