Eckstein makes play that only Eckstein could have made

At this point, David Eckstein has made so many of these heads-up, don't-show-up-in-the-box-scores type plays that we've almost come to expect it. But let's not get spoiled yet.

The situation: Ninth inning, man at first, one out, 3-2 count. Ronnie Cedeno takes off from first on Izzy's delivery. Ball four on a close pitch, throw goes down to second. Cedeno slides head first in vain, as it was ball four anyway. Eckstein, however, being the heady professional Baseball Player that he is, realizes that Cedeno is only guaranteed second on the walk and that any further advance renders him fair game.

So what happens? Cedeno comes off second, and Eckstein, being the heady, team-first gamer he is, puts the tag on Cedeno, who is called out. Can you believe that! How many major leaguers would have the presence and Baseball Sense and headiness to know the situation and the rules that well? Wow. I can only think of exactly six players in the history of baseball with the Baseball Sense to make that play: David Eckstein, Pete Rose, Honus Wagner, Davey Concepcion, Dickie Thon, and F.P. Santangelo. I mean, wow.

(Of course, Eckstein was only holding the tag on a base stealer as any infielder would do out of pure habit from typical base-stealing situations, but just watch this play resurface in a fluff piece the next time Eckstein finds himself in a playoff run.)