Has an in-game MLB interview caused a player to miss a catch?

During last night’s Major League Baseball broadcast on Apple TV Plus, a grounder was struck in the crotch by the right hand of Los Angeles Dodger player Enrique “Kiké” Hernández. This gave New York Yankees batter Gleyber Torres enough time to advance to first base. Does that always happen? confident. It’s just that Hernández was being interviewed when it happened.

Game announcer Dontrelle Willis asked Hernández, wearing a two-way microphone, about his team’s close relationship when Torres hit a ball toward third base. Hernández ran to catch the ball and he misjudged how the ball would bounce. ESPN report Asked if the post-game interview had anything to do with the mistake, Hernández said, “Maybe a little bit.” “But I think I let the ball swallow me up.” “It had weird hops.”

Even if the softball questions left him feeling like a hard ball to the groin, Hernández had no intention of turning down an in-game interview. When asked after the game, he said: “No. Paid.” Indeed it is! Collective Agreement of the Major League Baseball Players Association (PDF) stipulates that players receive $10,000 per game or $15,000 in the postseason, and that money is Joint funds between MLB and the Association.