The fence buster
Bobblehead collectors alert:
Saturday, Aug. 12, is "Rodney McCray Bobblefence Night" when the Triple-A Portland Beavers face the Tacoma Raniers.
McCray, the former University of L.A. High and West L.A. College star, hit just .214 in 67 big-league games over three years with the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets. But he made his mark as a video highlight when he was playing for the minor league Vancouver Canadians on May 27, 1991 at Portland's old Civic Stadium.
Chasing after a fly ball deep into right center field hit by Chip Hale, McCray ran right through the wall -- tearing up the Flav-R-Pac sign -- as a pannel of the plywood fence flipped up upon impact, sending McCray on the other side.
The ball bounced off the wall and ended up as a triple.
“I’m honored and tickled to death,� McCray said of the event. “I never get tired of talking about (the crash). It’s kind of like the skier who epitomizes the ‘agony of defeat’ – I’m the guy who ‘crashed through the wall. Usually it’s the big league superstars who get their own bobblehead, so I’m very excited.�
The first 2,000 fans through the gates will receive a bobble-headed likeness of McCray and a swinging Flav-R-Pac fence panel. The Beavers will also dedicate right-center field at their PGE Park as "McCray Alley."
For more on the play, read on ...
The incident happened in the seventh inning of the game between the Beavers and Canadians. Portland second baseman Hale lofted a hard-hit fly ball to deep right-center field. McCray gave chase at full speed, never realizing the proximity of the fence as he powered toward, and eventually through, the wall.
“I couldn’t feel the warning track,� McCray said. “Next thing you know, I’m through the wall.�
The plywood fence panel “flipped up� as McCray hit it face-first at full speed. The individual panel gave way at the bottom, and McCray ultimately wound up on the other side of the fence, momentarily out of sight of the local television cameras and the shocked fans in attendance. Hale reached on an RBI triple as the ball hit off the wall and fell back into play.
“I was not having a good year, so when I hit it I thought, ‘I’m going to hit a home run here,� Hale said. “I saw Rodney going after it, and I’m thinking, ‘you got to stop, the fence is right there.’�
The fact that it was McCray involved with the most unusual play didn’t seem to surprise Hale, who was quite familiar with McCray’s aggressive style of play.
“I played against Rodney for a long time,� said Hale, now the field manager of the Tucson Sidewinders in the PCL. “He’s one of the toughest players I’ve ever been around. Whether it was hitting or defense, he would never give an inch. You knew he was going to do everything he could to catch the ball.�
McCray suffered only minor injuries, including a cut lip and tongue and an abrasion on his forehead. He stayed in the game but was replaced in the eighth inning before his next at-bat.
After the crash, McCray, who was lying on his back with his feet in the air on the other side of the fence, was first checked on by Canadians outfielder Aubrey Waggoner, while the team’s trainer and others sprinted to his aid seconds later.
“They asked me what time it was,� McCray remembered. “It was about a quarter to eight, so I knew I was still in civilization.�
As for his place in blooper history, McCray wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I might not be a Hall of Fame player, but I made it to the Hall of Fame with a film clip. Not too many guys can say they’re in the Hall of Fame some way, some form. It’s still pretty cool.�