The Inch That Lost the World Series: Why Toronto's Game 7 Disaster Should Change How Baseball Teaches Baserunning

More than five months later, and baseball is still talking about it. In Game 7 of the 2025 World Series, Toronto Blue Jays baserunner Isiah Kiner-Falefa was forced out at home plate by the smallest of margins, a play that might have cost his team the championship. The ninth inning dash to the plate resulted in a 4-2 putout, and now this single inch is forcing the sport to reckon with a much bigger problem: baserunning in the majors is spectacularly awful.

The Play That Started It All

Here's what happened. Kiner-Falefa entered Game 7 as a pinch runner for Bo Bichette in the ninth inning. With the bases loaded, one out, and the score tied at 4, Daulton Varsho stepped up to the plate. The pressure was everything. When Varsho hit a hard one-hop grounder to Dodgers second baseman Miguel Rojas, Kiner-Falefa tried to score. Rojas slipped slightly while catching the ball but still had time to force out Kiner-Falefa by an inch at the plate.

That's not a huge mistake. That's inches.

Following Orders Cost Them Dearly

But here's the thing: Kiner-Falefa was following organizational policy. The Toronto coaches had warned him about two critical things before the moment arrived. The man on third cannot get doubled off on a line drive. The man on third cannot get picked off on a throw from the catcher, a play known as a back pick. Given those warnings, Kiner-Falefa took a short lead off third base. He also did not get a good secondary lead, which is the lead a runner takes after or right before the pitcher goes into his motion.

"The coaches wanted a shorter lead and a smaller secondary lead," Kiner-Falefa said. "It's organizational policy. I did what I was told. It was not the sole reason that we lost the game. It was a great learning experience. If I could do it over again, I'd have gotten a couple of steps out. I do what the organization wants."

A Sport Forgetting Its Fundamentals

The real issue here goes way beyond one play in one game. The players are bigger, faster, stronger, and better than ever, yet they run the bases more improperly than perhaps any time in the past half-century. It is not the fault of the players themselves. It is more the fault of the industry. For many years, organizations have spent next to no time teaching baserunning, and that negligence shows up in moments when it matters most.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.