BOSTON — Danny Jansen, a catcher for the Boston Red Sox and former player for the Toronto Blue Jays, achieved a historic milestone in Major League Baseball by appearing for both teams in the same inning. This rare event took place during a rain-delayed game that was resumed after being halted for over two months.
On June 26, Jansen played for Toronto and faced Boston pitcher Kutter Crawford, fouling off a pitch before rain caused a delay. Following a trade to the Red Sox on July 27, Jansen returned to the field on Monday for the continuation of the game, which had been suspended on June 26.
After Jansen’s unique achievement was highlighted within the baseball community, Red Sox manager Alex Cora made the decision to play him as the game resumed, stating the intention to “make history.”
“It was a very cool moment, just to be part of it,” Cora remarked. “I don’t know if it’s going to happen again. It has to be kind of like the perfect storm for that to happen.”
Once the game resumed at 2:06 p.m., after a lengthy delay, the press box announced Jansen’s participation: he was initially ‘pinch-hitting’ for himself before taking his position behind the plate for Boston. He witnessed Nick Pivetta pitch to Daulton Varsho, completing the at-bat Jansen had started. He then had a chance to bat for the Red Sox, earning applause from the sparse crowd before hitting a line drive to end the inning.
Jansen shared the experience with his family and friends, who observed his image on the scoreboard wearing a Blue Jays cap. “When I walked out there today, yeah, I saw myself up there, for sure,” he recalled.
Both managers acknowledged the rarity of the situation. Blue Jays manager John Schneider expressed pride in Jansen’s accomplishment, noting, “I think it’s cool for him to kind of go down in the record books as the first player to do that.”
In the game itself, Jansen recorded Boston’s first hit with a single in the fifth inning and went 1 for 4. After the game, he announced plans to keep one of his jerseys and send another to the Baseball Hall of Fame, where officials are eager to document this historic event.