Skip to main content
Come Fan with UsThursday, August 6, 2026

eBay Item of the Day: Random Acts of Randomness

And a camera was there to see it!

If you buy something from a link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

It was bound to happen eventually, and eventually turned out to be July 1, 1962, at Yankee Stadium. As this wire photo illustrates, a foul tip off the bat of someone named Mickey Mantle lodged itself in the face mask of home plate umpire John Stevens. This, like landing an airplane and most sex acts, is very hard to do on purpose.

True fact: At the conclusion of this game, the second-year Angels and the World Champion Yankees were tied for first place with Los Angeles actually holding a slight lead in percentage points.

Ump_2_medium

Ump_3_medium

See More: