During Thursday night’s exciting Cal League game between the Dodgers Advanced Single-A affiliate Rancho Cucamonga Quakes and the High Desert Mavericks (Mariners), something occurred that falls under the category of “Just when you think you’ve seen everything.”

Trailing 10-5 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and a runner on second base, rehabbing Dodgers/Isotopes infielder Alex Guerrero drilled a fly ball deep into the left field gap. Mavericks center fielder Travis Witherspoon turned and ran towards the wall and at first everyone at LoanMart Field thought that Guerrero had hit it out – even Guerrero, who went into his home run trot. Witherspoon turned back around and nonchalantly began walking back towards the infield. He then threw the ball back in as if he had just made a spectacular catch. Not knowing exactly what happened, Mavericks shortstop Tyler Smith fired the ball to third baseman Zach Shank, who attempted to tag Guerrero out… just in case. Also not knowing what had happened, Guerrero wisely stopped his trot after rounding third and dove back to the bag and base umpire Skyler Shown ruled Guerrero safe on the very bazaar play.

Everyone at LoanMart Field thought that Guerrero’s 9th inning smash had cleared the wall – everyone except Mavs center fielder Travis Witherspoon, that is. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

As you would expect, Mavericks manager Eddie Menchaca came storming out of the dugout to argue with Skown. At Menchaca’s request, Shown conferred with home plate umpire Clayton Hamm and much to the displeasure of the Mavs manager, the play stood with Guerrero safe at third base with an RBI triple.

Guerrero would eventually score on a double by Quakes first baseman Chris Jacobs, and Jacobs on a double by designated hitter Aaron Miller. The game ended on a deep fly ball to almost the exact same spot that Guerrero had hit his triple off the bat of Quakes right fielder Jeremy Rathjen, who had already homered twice in this crazy game. This time Witherspoon made a more routine catch while standing on the warning track to give the Mavericks the 10-8 win.

It wasn’t until after the game that it was learned that when Witherspoon tried to catch Guerrero’s fly ball off of the left/center field wall he apparently trapped it between the wall and his jersey without using his glove. This explained the nonchalance by Witherspoon as he was walking back towards the infield thinking that he would get credit for the catch and that the game was over.

He did not and it was not.

This incident brought back memories of former Dodgers shortstop Ángel Berroa, who once had a hot grounder spin its way into Berroa’s shirt for an infield single.

And we love this crazy game of baseball why?