Grand slams are rare. Inside-the-park home runs are rare. Moments at April minor league games that get national play are rare. Nashville Sounds catcher Alex Jackson touched ’em all. On April 23, Jackson came to the plate at First Horizon Park in the bottom of the third with two out, the bases juiced and the Sounds clinging to a 1-0 lead. He laced a low-cut fastball down the left-field line into the corner, where it bounced off the wall and ricocheted into the Sounds bullpen. The relievers scattered as the ball rattled around and Charlotte’s left fielder threw up his hands in the international sign for “Please, for the love of God, call this a ground-rule double.” The umpires — perhaps adhering to the video-review era principle of letting things play out and fixing it in post if necessary — did nothing. The Sounds on base smartly played to the metaphorical whistle. The Charlotte players, on the other hand, looked perplexed and flabbergasted and didn’t bother throwing the ball in until Jackson — as a catcher, not exactly the fleetest of foot — had crossed home. Despite pleas from the visitors, the umpires ultimately decided the play would stand. A most unusual occurrence earned the Sounds and Jackson some SportsCenter time.
Best Nashville Sounds Moment
