Weaver said home plate umpire Marty Springstead assured him the move was legal. When the hell did you ever see anyone do it? The guy who looks bad is Earl.
I told the umpire my second baseman was sick so I was putting the DH into the game and he said O.K.
If they told me I couldn’t do it, then I would’ve put Velez up, but I wanted to save Velez for later. I told the guys on the bench I don’t think I can do this, but I’m gonna try it. Here’s what Martin had to say after the game, according to Chass: But Tovar had not yet gone into the field, meaning Hunter could not yet bat in Alomar’s spot. The move was illegal under Major League Baseball rule 6.10(b), which read then (and still does), “The game pitcher may only pinch-hit for the Designated Hitter.” Meaning Hunter could have batted in place of Tovar, but nobody else - although once DH Tovar moved into the field to replace Alomar, pitcher Hunter would go into the batting order in Alomar’s spot. So Martin decided to have Hunter bat for Alomar. Martin had decided he would put Tovar at second base (a position he hadn’t played for nearly a year) in the bottom of the inning, meaning by rule he would no longer have a designated hitter and Hunter would have to bat for himself going forward. But Alomar had gotten sick with a virus (according to Murray Chass’ account in the next day’s New York Times, my source for this post). In the top of the sixth inning, with the game tied 2-2, the Yankees had Graig Nettles on first base with two out and second baseman Sandy Alomar due to bat. Thirty-six-year-old Cesar Tovar, who had signed with the Yanks just days earlier, was New York’s designated hitter (the rule allowing for someone to bat for the pitcher throughout the game had gone into effect in 1973). Hunter was the Yankees’ starting pitcher Septemat Baltimore. I haven’t been able to find a picture of Catfish with a bat in his hand, for the Yankees or anyone else, so this will have to do.