1985 Topps/O-Pee-Chee Stickers #219

Anyone who has ever played baseball in any capacity (sandlot, Little League, high school, etc) has always dreamed of pulling the hidden ball trick. Y’know, secretly holding onto the ball, waiting for the runner to wander off the bag, and then apply the tag for the out. It is the ultimate “Na-na-na-na-naaaaah-na” move, one that leaves the runner embarrassed, slightly upset, and muttering something along the lines of, “Why you little $%(*@!” But how many of us have actually performed the hidden ball trick successfully?

During the course of the 1985 season, Marty Barrett pulled the hidden ball trick not once, but twice and in the span of two weeks. Even more remarkable is the fact that both times came against the California Angels.

 On July 7th, during the last game of a four game stint in Anaheim, the Red Sox were looking to even up the season series. In the bottom of the second inning of a scoreless game, veteran second baseman Bobby Grich led off the inning with a single. Next up was left fielder Brian Downing. United Press International describes the play:

Bobby Grich opened the second inning with a single, and Brian Downing followed by beating out a sacrifice bunt. Red Sox first baseman Bill Buckner fielded the bunt but threw late to second baseman Marty Barrett covering first.

Barrett kept the ball as he moved back to his position. Boston pitcher Jim Dorsey then stepped off the mound, and when Grich took his lead off the bag, Barrett tagged him out. Third base umpire Tim McClelland made the call.

After the game, Barrett refused to divulge the secret of his trick.

“I just caught (Grich) a little off guard,” Barrett said. “I’s a great play when it works.”

Grich said after he was tagged he immediately looked to see if the pitcher was off the mound.

“So I just ran off the field,” he said. “I didn`t want to be embarrassed any longer than I had to be.”

He added with a grin: “I knew that Barrett had the ball the whole time. I just had to go to the bathroom. . . . He caught me completely by surprise.”

Years later, Barrett remembered Grich having a slightly different reaction to the play. At a luncheon featuring former Red Sox, Barrett recalls  ”trying to pull the hidden ball trick on Bobby Grich, and of having Grich calmly tell him that if he ever tried it again, he would rip his eyes out.”

1985 Topps Stickers #219

Also worth noting is that a year later, Grich tried to pull the hidden ball trick against the Detroit Tigers. On May 18th, 1986, Grich thought he had successfully caught Chet Lemon wandering off of second. Second base umpire Larry McCoy signaled Lemon out but was overturned by third base umpire Tim Welke who said teammate Bob Boone had called for time following Dave Collins‘ sacrifice bunt which brought Lemon to second. After the game, Grich stated, “I’ve kept my eye open for it. We’ll get somebody this year. Although I don’t think it’ll be Marty Barrett. Or Chet Lemon.”

 Two weeks later on July 21st, the Boston was finishing up its regular season series with the Angels. During the last game of a four game series, Barrett would strike again.

In the top of sixth inning, Doug DeCinces doubled with one out. Bob Boone followed with a walk after which Dick Schofield flied out to left field. Then, with Hall of Famer Rod Carew striding to the plate, Barrett made his move. The Eugene Register-Guard reports:

But after Dick Schofield had flied out, bringing Rod Carew to the plate, DeCinces wandered off second base to assume his normal lead. There, he waited for Boston starter Al Nipper to make his first pitch to Carew.

And waited.

Nipper was dawdling on the back slope of the mound, showing no signs of readying for his delivery to Carew.

There was a good reason for that. Nipper didn’t have the ball.

Barrett had it tucked away in the pocket of his glove, warily eyeing the unsuspecting DeCinces before flicking to shortstop Glenn Hoffman, who snuck in behind a sliding DeCinces to make the tag.

Red Sox skipper John McNamara said after the game,”That’s twice in one season. Sometimes, you don’t see it twice in one career. And both times we did it to them.”

1985 O-Pee-Chee Stickers #219

Barrett added, “I’m surprised because Gene Mauch is a real good baseball man. (But) it could happen to our team, it could happen to me. As long as guys keep getting off base, it’s going to work.”

Card thoughts

 I don’t have many thoughts on these sticker cards. They are small, flimsy, and don’t feature any sort of stats, although those were found in the sticker book, which I lack. Each card has two players; Marty is paired up with Atlanta Braves second baseman Glenn “Old Mother” Hubbard. Hubbard gets the in-game treatment while Barrett appears to be at spring training. The front of the Topps and O-Pee-Chee are identical while the backs differ in many ways. The Topps version lets collectors send in backs, or official baseball symbols, along with some money for either a team poster or an autographed team ball, although I have to believe that is filled with facsimile autographs. The O-Pee-Chee back has both English and French and instead of a poster/baseball, lets collectors purchase 10 stickers for $1.

Interestingly, both versions were printed in Italy by…Panini (at least I think that is correct).

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“A Blohard Chronology 1967-2004.” BLOHARDS.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 July 2012. <http://www.blohards.com/?nav=history>.

“Hidden Ball Has Angels Blushing.” Eugene Reigstar-Guard 22 July 1985: n. pag. Web. 25 July 2012. <http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19850722&id=Wu5VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=g-EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3772,5106330>.

“Hidden-ball Trick No Joke To Grich.” Sun Sentinal 8 July 1985: n. pag. Sun Sentinal. Web. 25 July 2012. <http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1985-07-08/news/8501270756_1_bobby-grich-hidden-ball-trick-red-sox-first>.

Penner, Mike. “Angels Play Tricks, Then Tigers Play Hardball, 10-4.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 18 May 1986. Web. 25 July 2012. <http://articles.latimes.com/1986-05-18/sports/sp-21189_1_angels-play-tricks>.

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