Adding invoice to injury.
One day after Clint Frazier sent a fly ball off a speaker at Tampa Bay’s Tropicana Field, the Rays tweeted a mock invoice at the Yankees’ official account. “Re: 9th inn. Flyout at Tropicana Field … FEE: Replacement Speaker,” the invoice read.
Frazier’s bizarre fly out came with Sunday’s game tied at 6-6 in the 9th inning. The rookie rocked a ball to left field – or so he thought. The fly ball ricocheted off a speaker hanging from the “B” ring catwalk , which is in play at Tropicana Field, and was caught by shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria.
MLB Statcast estimated Frazier’s hit would have traveled 335 feet, deep enough for a homerun to the left-field corner where it was headed.
“I think it was going to be fair,” Frazier said after the game. “It was definitely going to be a home run, too. I got robbed of one.”
The Yankees ultimately lost, 7-6, in the 12th inning thanks to Jake Bauers’ walk-off home run. Sunday’s loss completed a weekend sweep for the Rays, dropping the Bronx Bombers into a tie with the Red Sox atop the A.L. East.
Though the invoice was sent in jest, the Rays would probably appreciate any financial help they can get. The franchise tied for the second-lowest revenue in MLB in 2017, earning $219 million. The Yankees are valued by Forbes at $4 billion and made $619 million in revenue last year, almost $100 million more than the second-place Dodgers.
