Thoughts on The Kick

Posted Mar 26, 2008 by Marc Lancaster

Updated Mar 26, 2008 at 03:35 PM

FORT MYERS—I don’t know if there were any TV cameras out here today to capture Livan Hernandez booting the ball straight into Justin Morneau’s glove to retire Elliot Johnson in the third inning today, but maybe these quotes from the principals will give you an idea of how bizarre it was.

Morneau noted that Rays first base coach George Hendrick was applauding the play, and so was the entire Rays dugout, which got a great look at the way it unfolded as Johnson raced won the first base line.

Elliot Johnson
“I was watching and I was just thinking, ‘I’m getting a hit or he’s going to try and do a little flip at it’ – I didn’t know what he was going to do. And then I see him kick it and I was obviously surprised and it kind of put a smile on my face. What a play. Nothing you can do about that. Good job.”

Jason Bartlett
“That was awesome. Usually you’d see that and you’d get mad about it, but it was so amazing that everybody in our dugout was taking their hat off and just bowing to him. To kick it and to hit it in the air right at Morneau’s glove is impossible, but he did it. Any other first baseman, it probably would have hit off their knee or something, but Morneau, with that hockey instinct, kick save and he got it in the glove.”

James Shields
“When our team’s giving the opposing pitcher a standing ovation in the dugout, I think that’s a pretty good play.”

Joe Maddon
“That was pretty impressive. And not only that, you’ve got to give Morneau some credit at first base. It was almost like he was holding the glove and saying, ‘Kick it here.’ I don’t know if he willed it or had some kind of ESPN at that point – literally. That was a great play, it was an outstanding play.”

Livan Hernandez
“I tried to hit it to him so he can catch it. I like to be in the game like that. … A lot of people [don’t] like the way I play. Everybody [says] I’m not a good athlete, I don’t know. I think you’ve got to make some plays like that to make the game more easy.”

Justin Morneau
“When I saw he wasn’t going to bend over, what I was thinking he was going to do was try and hit it with his bare hand, or maybe flip it with his glove. He kicked it perfect. It’s crazy. … Usually that’s no goal in hockey, kicking it in. It was unbelievable.”

Ron Gardenhire
“I’ve seen guys kick the ball, I don’t know if the timing was as good as that one. It was pretty entertaining, and about his only chance, rather than try to go down and flip it. and he probably would have ended up on his face.”