New York Yankees outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury broke an obscure record during the first inning of Tuesday's 7-1 thumping of the Baltimore Orioles, becoming the first player in MLB history to reach base on a catcher's interference nine times in a single season, per MLB Stat of the Day.
Stepping up to the plate with nobody on base and one out in the bottom of the first, Ellsbury appeared to hit a routine grounder to Orioles shortstop J.J. Hardy on a 1-2 offering from Baltimore starting pitcher Vance Worley.
After briefly glancing backward, the 32-year-old speedster hustled down the first-base line and even came within a half-step of beating the throw, nearly taking advantage of the soft contact that was caused in part by the collision between his bat and Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph's glove.