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Jeffrey Maier On October 9, 1996, 12-year-old Jeffrey Maier directly affected the outcome of Game 1 of the American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and the Baltimore Orioles. In the bottom of the eighth inning, with the Yankees batting and Baltimore leading 4-3, Maier reached over the fence separating the right field stands and the field of play and interfered with a deep fly ball hit by Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter. The ball appeared to be heading into the glove of Baltimore outfielder Tony Tarasco as Maier stuck out his left arm, interfering with the play by pulling the ball into the stands. Right field umpire Rich Garcia immediately ruled the play a home run, under the protest of Tarasco and Orioles manager Davey Johnson. The game was thus tied 4-4, went into extra innings and ended when Yankee outfielder Bernie Williams hit a game-winning home run in the bottom of the eleventh inning. The Orioles protested the Maier interference play immediately after the conclusion of the game but was denied by the Commissioner of Baseball, Bud Selig, because judgment calls cannot be protested. After viewing a video replay later that day, Garcia admitted that fan interference should have been called. Maier's "interference" was left to stand and the Yankees went on to win the series against Baltimore 4-1 as well as the World Series against the Atlanta Braves. External links *CNNSI article
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