02 September 2012

same play?

as i was pulling cards for my (someday it will happen) double play tournament, i found these two jay bell cards.
that's 2001 topps stadium club on the left, and 2001 upper deck on the right.  right away, i figured they were the same play, based on eric young's slide, and the shadow bell's right leg is casting on young's back.

there are five possible games from which this play (or plays) may come from, assuming it is a 2000 photo.  the diamondbacks visited wrigley in late april and then again in june.  bell played in all three games in the first series, but just two in the latter. 

in the first game, on april 28th, bell did not turn a double play, nor was ey involved in an attempted double play turn.  ditto for april 29, too.  on april 30, however, young singled in the 8th inning and was out on the front end of a 6-4-3 double play.  the next time jay bell played in wrigley was june 5.  in that game, young didn't appear until the bottom of the 10th inning as a pinch runner, and he eventually scored the winning run without a play at second.  the last possible game came a couple of days later.  on june 7, in the first game of a doubleheader, eric young did find himself out at second on the front end of a double play, but it was a 1-6-3 dp, and bell was at his usual position of second base.

so, i think i am correct in my assumption that these cards feature photos from the same play, and that the play occurred on april 30, 2000.

on a side note, even as a lurker, ey has nice looking cards!

5 comments:

Wrigley Wax said...

The April date is iffy because of the ivy. It usually doesn't bloom until mid-May. In April it's usually just bare brown vines.

gcrl said...

ah - good point. maybe it's not a 2000 photo then.

Josh D. said...

Regardless of the date, that is definitely the same play. Nice catch.

Play at the Plate said...

I vote for same play. Nice catch.

Michael said...

Wow, great catch!