Lonnie Smith - 1991 World Series

1991 World Series

Smith committed a baserunning blunder very late in the Seventh Game of the 1991 World Series, playing against the Minnesota Twins. Smith was on first base with no men out in the eighth inning of this scoreless (0 - 0) game. Then, the Braves' batter Terry Pendleton stuck a line-drive double to left field. It appeared that Smith should have been able to score following this hit, but as he was rounding second base, he stumbled momentarily, and he stopped at third base. Smith later stated that he had lost sight of the baseball against the ceiling of the Minnesota Metrodome stadium, but replays from the TV coverage of the game showed that the Twins' second baseman Chuck Knoblauch had deceived Smith by pretending to receive the baseball thrown in from the outfielder.

Regardless of the cause, Smith advanced just to third base. Next, the bases became loaded, and then Smith was forced out at home plate in a double play. The Braves did not score a run during this team at-bat. The score remained (0 - 0), and that was how it remained at the end of the ninth inning.

The Twins went on to score one run in the bottom of the tenth inning, hence winning the game 1-0 and winning the World Series four games to three.