Jeffrey Maier
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Maier (born September 24, 1984) is an American baseball
fan best known for an incident in which he was involved as a twelve-year-old at a baseball game, when he deflected a batted ball in-play into the stands during Game 1 of the 1996 American League Championship Series
between the New York Yankees
and the Baltimore Orioles
. His action altered the course of Game 1, as the resulting home run allowed the Yankees to tie the score. They would go on to win the game and the series, four games to one.
Derek Jeter
hit a deep fly ball to right field. Right fielder Tony Tarasco
moved near the fence and appeared "to draw a bead on the ball" when the then-12-year-old Maier reached over the fence separating the stands and the field of play 9 feet below and deflected the ball into the stands. While baseball fans are permitted to catch (and keep) balls hit into the stands, if "a spectator reaches out of the stands, or goes on the playing field, and touches a live ball" spectator interference is to be called.
Right field umpire
Rich Garcia
immediately ruled the play a home run
, tying the game at 4–4, despite the protest of Tarasco and Orioles manager Davey Johnson
(the latter was ejected in the ensuing argument). The Yankees won the game in the eleventh inning on Bernie Williams
' walk-off home run
. The Orioles maintained their protest of the Maier play after the conclusion of the game, but their protest was denied by American League
President Gene Budig
because judgment calls cannot be protested. After viewing the replay, Garcia admitted that there was spectator interference, though he maintained the ball was not catchable. Garcia's contention that the ball was not catchable has been disputed. Had Garcia ruled it spectator interference, he would have then used his own judgment to determine what the most likely outcome of the play would be—either an out or awarding Jeter a given number of bases.
The Yankees went on to win the series against Baltimore, four games to one, as well as the World Series
against the Atlanta Braves
. As a result of the play, a railing was added to the top of the right field wall at Yankee Stadium to prevent fans from reaching over it.
Meanwhile, in New York, Maier became a minor celebrity. The New York Daily News
allowed him to sit behind the Yankee dugout later in the postseason. The boy appeared on national talk show
s, including The Late Show with David Letterman, and was even awarded the key to New York City by mayor Rudy Giuliani
.
and played baseball there at Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan
. He then played college ball at Wesleyan University
in Middletown, Connecticut
, where he was a first-team all-NESCAC selection. He also played briefly for the Pittsfield Dukes in the New England Collegiate Baseball League
in the summer of 2005.
In 2006, he became Wesleyan's career hits leader and was featured on ESPN. The New York Times
reported that Maier hoped for a career in baseball. That spring, the Washington Post and MLB.com
reported that, ironically, the Baltimore Orioles might draft him—though the team denied ever having an interest in him. Maier was also invited to a tryout for a number of prospects, held by the New York Yankees
. However, he was not selected by any team in the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft. Maier worked in the summer of 2006 as a scout in the Cape Cod League for ESPN
's Peter Gammons
and also as an instructor for Frozen Ropes Baseball Training Center. Maier has since become a special consultant for the New Haven County Cutters
. He has had several internships, including with the YES Network
, and had several interviews (according to The New York Times) with MLB teams at baseball's winter meetings in search of a front-office job.
He served as an extra and assisted with baseball skills training for the actors in ESPN's miniseries about the 1977 Yankees, The Bronx is Burning
.
Maier is now out of baseball completely and works with Internet IaaS company DynDNS
in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
fan best known for an incident in which he was involved as a twelve-year-old at a baseball game, when he deflected a batted ball in-play into the stands during Game 1 of the 1996 American League Championship Series
1996 American League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 9, 1996 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe first game of the series is most notable for the infamous "Jeffrey Maier Incident." With the Yankees trailing 4–3 in the bottom of the eighth, rookie Derek Jeter hit a fly ball to deep right field off Orioles reliever...
between the New York Yankees
1996 New York Yankees season
The 1996 New York Yankees season was the 94th season for the Yankees. The 1996 New York Yankees were managed by Joe Torre, and played at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx....
and the Baltimore Orioles
1996 Baltimore Orioles season
The Baltimore Orioles season in which the Orioles finishing 2nd in the American League East with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses and qualifying for the post-season as the Wild Card team. The Orioles broke the all-time record for most home runs hit by a team with 257...
. His action altered the course of Game 1, as the resulting home run allowed the Yankees to tie the score. They would go on to win the game and the series, four games to one.
Incident
On October 9, 1996, the Yankees trailed the Orioles 4–3 in the bottom of the eighth inning when shortstopShortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
hit a deep fly ball to right field. Right fielder Tony Tarasco
Tony Tarasco
Anthony Giacinto Tarasco is a former Major League Baseball outfielder for the Atlanta Braves, Montreal Expos, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, and New York Mets from 1993 to 2002....
moved near the fence and appeared "to draw a bead on the ball" when the then-12-year-old Maier reached over the fence separating the stands and the field of play 9 feet below and deflected the ball into the stands. While baseball fans are permitted to catch (and keep) balls hit into the stands, if "a spectator reaches out of the stands, or goes on the playing field, and touches a live ball" spectator interference is to be called.
Right field umpire
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
Rich Garcia
Rich Garcia
Richard Raul Garcia is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1975 to 1999...
immediately ruled the play a home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
, tying the game at 4–4, despite the protest of Tarasco and Orioles manager Davey Johnson
Davey Johnson
David Allen "Davey" Johnson is an American Major League Baseball player and current manager of the Washington Nationals. He was the starting second baseman for the Baltimore Orioles when they won four American League pennants and two World Series championships between 1965 and 1972...
(the latter was ejected in the ensuing argument). The Yankees won the game in the eleventh inning on Bernie Williams
Bernie Williams
Bernabé Williams Figueroa Jr. is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and Puerto Rican musician.-Early life:...
' walk-off home run
Walk-off home run
In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run that ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game—either the ninth inning, or any extra inning, or any other regularly scheduled final inning...
. The Orioles maintained their protest of the Maier play after the conclusion of the game, but their protest was denied by American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
President Gene Budig
Gene Budig
Gene Budig was the president of Major League Baseball's American League from to , when the presidencies of the American League and the National League were abolished.Budig graduated from the University of Nebraska...
because judgment calls cannot be protested. After viewing the replay, Garcia admitted that there was spectator interference, though he maintained the ball was not catchable. Garcia's contention that the ball was not catchable has been disputed. Had Garcia ruled it spectator interference, he would have then used his own judgment to determine what the most likely outcome of the play would be—either an out or awarding Jeter a given number of bases.
The Yankees went on to win the series against Baltimore, four games to one, as well as the World Series
1996 World Series
-Game 1:Sunday, October 20, 1996 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkGame 1 and Game 2 were originally scheduled for Saturday, October 19 and Sunday, October 20, respectively. Rain on October 19, however, washed out Game 1. The schedule was moved up one day, with Game 1 and Game 2 rescheduled for...
against the Atlanta Braves
1996 Atlanta Braves season
-Offseason:* January 3, 1996: Jerome Walton was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves.* January 9, 1996: Mike Kelly was traded by the Atlanta Braves to the Cincinnati Reds for a player to be named later and Chad Fox...
. As a result of the play, a railing was added to the top of the right field wall at Yankee Stadium to prevent fans from reaching over it.
Meanwhile, in New York, Maier became a minor celebrity. The New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
allowed him to sit behind the Yankee dugout later in the postseason. The boy appeared on national talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
s, including The Late Show with David Letterman, and was even awarded the key to New York City by mayor Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
.
Baseball career
Maier grew up in Old Tappan, New JerseyOld Tappan, New Jersey
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 5,750 people. The population density was 1,725.7 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the borough was 74.8% Caucasian, 22.2% Asian, 0.7% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.6% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanics...
and played baseball there at Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan
Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan
Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan is a comprehensive four-year regional public high school serving students from several municipalities in Bergen County, New Jersey. The high school serves students from the suburban communities of Harrington Park, Northvale, Norwood, and Old Tappan...
. He then played college ball at Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college founded in 1831 and located in Middletown, Connecticut. According to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Wesleyan is the only Baccalaureate College in the nation that emphasizes undergraduate instruction in the arts and...
in Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown, Connecticut
Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, 16 miles south of Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated as a town under its original Indian name, Mattabeseck. It received its present name in 1653. In 1784, the central...
, where he was a first-team all-NESCAC selection. He also played briefly for the Pittsfield Dukes in the New England Collegiate Baseball League
New England Collegiate Baseball League
The New England Collegiate Baseball League is a 12-team collegiate summer baseball league founded in 1993 and sanctioned by the NCAA and Major League Baseball. Each NECBL team plays an eight-week, 42-game schedule during June and July, with a playoff in early August...
in the summer of 2005.
In 2006, he became Wesleyan's career hits leader and was featured on ESPN. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reported that Maier hoped for a career in baseball. That spring, the Washington Post and MLB.com
MLB.com
MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. . MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports columns...
reported that, ironically, the Baltimore Orioles might draft him—though the team denied ever having an interest in him. Maier was also invited to a tryout for a number of prospects, held by the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
. However, he was not selected by any team in the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft. Maier worked in the summer of 2006 as a scout in the Cape Cod League for ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Peter Gammons
Peter Gammons
Peter Gammons is an American sportswriter, media personality, and a recipient of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award for outstanding baseball writing, given by the BBWAA.-Education:...
and also as an instructor for Frozen Ropes Baseball Training Center. Maier has since become a special consultant for the New Haven County Cutters
New Haven County Cutters
The New Haven County Cutters were an independent baseball team based in New Haven, Connecticut. From 2004 through 2007, it played in the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball , an independent league that is not affiliated with Major League Baseball or with the Minor League Baseball...
. He has had several internships, including with the YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
, and had several interviews (according to The New York Times) with MLB teams at baseball's winter meetings in search of a front-office job.
He served as an extra and assisted with baseball skills training for the actors in ESPN's miniseries about the 1977 Yankees, The Bronx is Burning
The Bronx Is Burning
The Bronx Is Burning is a television drama that debuted on ESPN on July 9, 2007, after the 2007 MLB Home Run Derby. It is an eight-episode mini-series adapted from Jonathan Mahler's best-selling book, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning...
.
Maier is now out of baseball completely and works with Internet IaaS company DynDNS
DynDNS
Dyn is an infrastructure as a service company that provides Internet DNS and email delivery services for commercial and private users. It originally provided a free dynamic DNS service, which allowed users to have a subdomain that points to a computer with regularly changing IP addresses, such as...
in Manchester, New Hampshire.