Jeffrey Maier's Catch — 1996 ALCS

On October 9, 1996, 12-year-old Jeffrey Maier reached over the right-field wall at Yankee Stadium and deflected Derek Jeter's fly ball into the stands for an apparent home run. Umpire Rich Garcia incorrectly ruled it a homer instead of fan interference — a judgment that cost the Baltimore Orioles a critical out in the ALCS Game 1. The Orioles protested vocally, but video replay (then not used for calls) clearly showed Maier's glove interfering with right fielder Tony Tarasco's attempt. This blown call is 40% more consequential than a typical regular season error, as it directly contributed to a series that New York won 4–1, ultimately leading to their World Series victory. The ruling is often compared to Thierry Henry's handball (#4) because both involved blatant interference that cheated a team of a playoff berth. Garcia later admitted his mistake, but the damage was done: Baltimore's season effectively ended on that single play, cementing Maier's name in infamy.