Was this the greatest play at Globe Life? Matthews robs homer in front of Robert Earl Keen
Editor’s note: The latest in a countdown of the most memorable moments in Globe Life Park history. The Texas Rangers will play their final game there Sept. 29 before moving into Globe Life Field next season.
It did not seem possible.
And it still doesn’t.
The home run-saving catch former Texas Rangers’ center fielder Gary Matthews Jr. made on July 1, 2006, at Globe Life Park still seems impossible upon review all these years later.
The Houston Astros’ Mike Lamb lifted a fly ball in the eighth inning with two on and two outs. Matthews, who was playing at medium depth in the outfield, had a long way to run to even get to the ball as it sailed towards the grass berm in the batter’s eye.
The first thing that occurs to you is that Matthews won’t be able to make up the ground quickly enough. But he did and he stole a three-run homer from Lamb, who had already hit a double, triple and a homer with three RBIs in the game and helped Houston build a 5-0 lead going into the inning.
Rangers’ Hall of Fame radio voice Eric Nadel calls it one of the two greatest plays he’s ever seen. The other is Ken Griffey Jr.’s “Spiderman catch” against Ruben Sierra at the Seattle Kingdome in May 1991.
Both of the plays happened in unimportant games, which is the point Nadel makes when he’s asked how he stays interested during a blowout loss or a lost season.
“I tell them, ‘You never know, you might see the best game you’ve ever seen in a game that doesn’t affect the pennant race. Or the best play you’ve ever seen in a game that’s already decided,’” Nadel said. “That’s happened with the two best plays I’ve ever seen.”
What stands out most for Nadel on Matthews’ catch?
“Robert Earl Keen was sitting right here,” he said. Nadel had invited the Texas singer-songwriter into the booth to help pass the time during a 5-0 loss. Nadel was a big fan and had never met him. Keen was performing a post-game show at the ballpark.
“He was talking and paused and the ball got hit and I called it,” Nadel recalled. “I didn’t think there was any chance it could be caught as I’m making the call and then he catches it. In the background on the call, you can hear Robert Earl Keen clapping. We were all so flabbergasted that Gary had caught the ball.”
This story was originally published September 24, 2019 at 5:34 PM.
