JT Snow is the only player in baseball history to score a run while dragging a small child along behind him. And he did it in the World Series, in 2002. The Giants were credited with two runs on the play. The MLB Network recently named the play one of the top ten greatest plays at the plate.
With two runners on base Giants outfielder Kenny Lofton tripled into the deep right field alley. Tiny three-year-old batboy Darren Baker, son of Giants manager Dusty Baker, tottered out to grab the bat – unaware that two baserunners were at that moment bearing down on home plate. As first-baseman JT Snow crossed the plate he quickly grabbed the tot by the front of Darren’s jacket, scooping him up like a lion cub and holding him safely out of harm’s way as third-baseman David Bell barreled across home plate behind Snow.
After the season Major League Baseball instituted a new rule: all batboys must be at least 14 years old. This became known as the Darren Baker Rule. A bobblehead commemorating the event was commissioned but never executed. Darren had been the shortest baserunner since Eddie Gaedel pinch hit for the St. Louis Browns.
Like Darren, JT Snow is the son of an all-star father. Jack Snow starred as a wide receiver at Notre Dame and the Los Angeles Rams (below). After his father died JT, then with the Boston Red Sox, changed his number to 84 to honor his father. Before retiring JT signed a one day contract with the Giants. Snow took his familiar position at first base at the start of the game and tossed warm-up grounders to the infielders before being replaced. Eugenio Vélez, Omar Vizquel, and Rich Aurilia threw balls in the dirt to mess with Snow, but Snow still made the plays.
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