"The difference between the Toronto Blue Jays winning and losing the 2025 World Series was roughly the length of a hyphen. In the ninth inning of Game 7, the dash to the plate by Toronto's Isiah Kiner-Falefa resulted in a 4-2 putout. Kiner-Falefa was out at the plate by the smallest of margins, and now, more than five months later, we are still talking about it."
"That play, however, inspired another examination of baserunning in the major leagues, which is spectacularly awful given the remarkable talent in the game today. The players are bigger, faster, stronger and better than ever, yet, paradoxically, they run the bases more improperly than at any time in perhaps the past half-century."
"Kiner-Falefa entered Game 7 in the ninth inning as a pinch runner for Bo Bichette. When Kiner-Falefa reached third base, the bases were loaded with one out, Daulton Varsho was at the plate and the score was tied at 4."
"Two things cannot happen to the man on third: He cannot get doubled off on a line drive and he cannot get picked off on a throw from the catcher. Given those warnings, Kiner-Falefa took a short lead off third."
The Toronto Blue Jays' loss in the 2025 World Series was marked by a pivotal moment involving Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who was out at home plate by a slim margin. This incident has sparked a broader discussion about the state of baserunning in Major League Baseball, which is perceived to be at an all-time low despite the players' exceptional physical abilities. The industry, rather than the players themselves, is largely blamed for this decline in baserunning skills, as evidenced by Kiner-Falefa's cautious approach during a crucial moment in Game 7.
Read at ESPN.com
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