Eleutero Benjamin "Angelo" Encarnación (born April 18, 1969) is a former professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding ...
player who played three seasons for the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. Founded as part o ...
and
Anaheim Angels
The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team ha ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) ...
.
Career
During a game against the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brookly ...
on August 12, 1995, Encarnacion made an unusual mistake that ultimately cost the Pirates the game.
[Mask Mishap Helps Dodgers]
, The New York Times, August 14, 1995. Encarnacion entered the game in the top of the eleventh inning with the score tied at 10–10, as a
pinch runner
In baseball, a pinch runner is a player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing another player on base. The pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been subs ...
for the Pirates' starting catcher,
Mark Parent. The Pirates failed to score, and Encarnacion remained in the game as the catcher. Later that inning, with one out and
Roberto Kelly on third base, Encarnacion casually scooped up a
bouncing ball with his face mask.
This was a violation of MLB's rarely invoked Rule 7.05 (d), which allows runners on base to advance under that circumstance, permitting Kelly to score the game-winning run uncontested.
References
External links
1969 births
Akron Aeros players
Allentown Ambassadors players
Anaheim Angels players
Calgary Outlaws players
Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Canada
Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States
Living people
Major League Baseball catchers
Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic
Newark Bears players
Pittsburgh Pirates players
Sioux Falls Canaries players
Welland Pirates players
Augusta Pirates players
Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
Calgary Cannons players
Carolina Mudcats players
Gulf Coast Red Sox players
Iowa Cubs players
Las Vegas Stars (baseball) players
Midland Angels players
Pawtucket Red Sox players
Salem Buccaneers players
Vancouver Canadians players
West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx players
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