Former Blue Jays and current Red Sox catcher Danny Jansen achieved a unique feat in Major League Baseball by playing for both teams in the same game, which had never happened before. He even played for both teams in the same inning.
This unusual occurrence was made possible by a combination of baseball rules and New England weather. Jansen became the only player to appear in the box score for both teams when he played for Boston on Monday, continuing a rain-delayed game he had started for Toronto in June, before being traded to the Red Sox.
“I was surprised when I found out I was the first one to do it,” Jansen said after going 1 for 4 for Boston and also being part of another at-bat for Toronto in the Blue Jays’ 4-1 win. “It’s cool, leaving a stamp like that on the game. It’s interesting, and it’s strange. And I’m grateful for the opportunity to have that.”
While playing for Toronto on June 26, Jansen fouled off the only pitch he saw from Boston starter Kutter Crawford in the second inning before the game was delayed by rain. On July 27, Jansen was traded from Toronto to Boston for three minor league players.
After the possibility of Jansen making history became a topic of discussion, Red Sox manager Alex Cora decided to use Jansen when the suspended game resumed, saying “Let’s make history.”
“It was a very cool moment, just to be part of it,” Cora said. “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 — starting with the storm. And I’m glad that everybody enjoyed it.”
Before the game resumed at 2:06 p.m. Monday, which was 65 days, 18 hours, and 35 minutes after it was delayed, Red Sox media relations coordinator Daveson Perez announced the following changes in the Fenway Park press box: “Pinch-hitting for Danny Jansen: Daulton Varsho. Defensive changes: Danny Jansen now at catcher.”
With Jansen behind the plate, Nick Pivetta struck out Varsho to finish the at-bat that Jansen had started. Jansen then came up to bat for the Red Sox with two outs in the bottom half of the inning, getting a warm cheer from the small crowd, and hit a soft line drive to first base to end the inning.
“Building up until that point, maybe it was a bit strange,” Jansen said. “Once you stepped in the box and it was ‘Game on,’ I was just trying to stay present, stay locked in.”
Jansen’s wife, kids, and some friends were there to see him make baseball history — or at least make a unique mark. When they arrived, they saw his picture on the scoreboard wearing a Blue Jays cap.
“When I walked out there today, yeah, I saw myself up there, for sure,” Jansen said. “That was just kind of like, ‘Well, that’s where we’re at.’”
Before the first pitch, the umpires had a long discussion with the coaches who presented some of the most unusual lineup cards in baseball history. Blue Jays manager John Schneider expressed his happiness that his former player, who is known as a backup and a career .222 hitter, was getting some attention.
“I think it’s cool for him to kind of go down in the record books as the first player to do that,” Schneider said. “I’ve known Jano forever, and it’s something cool that he can always kind of say he was the first at, and he’s good at weird stuff. Pretty cool for him.”
Jansen had a single in the fifth inning, which was Boston’s first hit of the game. He had a flyout in the seventh and then came up with two outs in the ninth with a runner on second, but he struck out on a checked swing to end the game.
The 29-year-old right-handed hitter mentioned that he wore two jerseys during the game (three, if you count the Toronto one he wore in June). He plans to keep one for himself and send one to the Baseball Hall of Fame; an authenticator was present to tag all of Jansen’s equipment.
