Here’s the answer they gave on “Car Talk.” (Had to wait for it to be posted to the web site, since the show airs in L.A. while I’m at work on Saturday.) Levi is correct in the comments on the question (back on April 13) that this is a hard situation to plan for, and Luke is correct that they’d mention his pick-off move to first. If only we’d sent in the answer, perhaps we could have won a gift certificate for “Car Talk” merchandise.
RAY: The fact that his nickname was Lefty should help. Lefties have good pick-off moves. So imagine this: It’s the top of the ninth, and the game is tied. The opponents have a guy on first base and there are two outs. Lefty’s brought in. He doesn’t throw a single pitch. Instead he picks the guy off of first base.
Inning over. Did he throw a pitch?
TOM: No.
RAY: Bottom of the ninth, one of his teammates hits a home run, end of game, Lefty wins, gets his bonus, gets his thousand bucks, and the manager gets fired anyway.