Yankees’ Ben Rice Roasted for Laughably Bad Move While Playing First Base
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New York Yankees rookie Ben Rice will want this moment back. Badly.
During Thursday’s 9-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, Rice made an embarrassing goof while playing first base in the bottom of the first inning. With Toronto up, 1-0, and with runners on second and third, Blue Jays’ Justin Turner hit a soft ground ball up the first base line directly toward Rice.
Rice, who could’ve easily scooped the ball up to get the easy out, let it go to see if it would roll foul. To the 25-year-old’s horror, the ball would bounce off the first base bag, allowing Turner to reach first and Blue Jays’ Isiah Kiner-Falefa to score from third.
This is up there for one of the most boneheaded decisions you’ll ever see an MLB player make pic.twitter.com/uoOQ4RL6tE
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 27, 2024
A real rookie move.
Thursday’s game was Rice’s ninth at first base (he previously played 55 games at the position in the minors), and so far this season, the converted catcher has mostly held his own on defense.
But fans still had a field day poking fun at Rice’s recent blunder.
Would he like some popcorn to watch that ball with
— annoying ohtani fan (@owndodgerhaters) June 27, 2024
Absolutely unreal decision when you can just take the free out 💀
— Optimal Bets (@optimal_bets) June 27, 2024
How did this guy go to Dartmouth? 😂
— Chris Michiels (@BrahmaBull71) June 27, 2024
Mets broke them 🤣
— Wyatt (@iwyatt15) June 27, 2024
He’ll learn, he a rook
— proud ranger fan (@Mystinc_t) June 27, 2024