Nothing is more nerve-wracking for an outfielder than pursuing a deep fly ball to the wall and attempting to strike a balance between selling out to perhaps preserve a home run or extra bases and protecting oneself from a collision with the padded, but still painful immovable barrier. The warning track exists to warn fielders of the inevitable pain that awaits them if they do not reverse course once they touch the soil.
As they approach closer to the wall, most will extend a hand as an extra feeler to locate it so they don’t end up like Minnesota centerfielder Rob Refsnyder on Monday afternoon in Baltimore. Ryan Mountcaste blasted a deep fly ball to centerfield in the bottom of the fifth inning, prompting Refsnyder to mount his horse and try to catch it. Refsnyder, on the other hand, failed to extend an arm and ignore the track’s warning, crashing into the wall as the ball soared past it for a single home run to tie the game.
Although he wasn’t at full sprint when he got there, the close-up shot clearly emphasizes how hard he crashes the wall.
Happily, he was alright and remained in the game in what became a 3-2 Twins victory, but his tumble after slamming into the wall will serve as a lasting memory and a sure reminder to get that off hand out to find the wall before it finds him.
