It looked like Todd Frazier made an incredible diving catch over the railing on Alex Verdugo’s pop up during the Mets’ 4-1 victory over the Dodgers on Monday night in Los Angeles. But according to SNY, the veteran third baseman duped the umpire.
Steve Gelbs, SNY’s on-field announcer, said Frazier earned the out thanks to a rubber ball that happened to be sitting right where he tumbled and suggested Frazier held up the phony ball and umpire Mark Wegner called him out when he returned to the field.
Gelbs, being interviewed by Gary Apple, said this was an elaborate scam by Frazier and that he did not make the catch.
“He did not make the catch and beyond not just making the catch, the ball that Todd Frazier that ended up holding up to the umpire was not the baseball. It was a rubber baseball, the likes of which maybe 6- or 7-year-old kids use.”
Gelbs then presented the video evidence and said he didn’t catch the ball and noted Frazier threw the ball in the stands right away after the out was called and showed a clip of the veteran third baseman talking to his teammates after the play.
So, did he catch it?
You make the call.