A Bad Day on the Basepaths

The Wichita Pickoff:

You may have never heard of the “Ol’ Wichita Pickoff” before, but it’s going to haunt one baseball player in the great state of Mississippi for the rest of his life.
We don’t know this kid’s name, but that’s probably just as well. What we do know, however, is that he plays for Gulfport High School, which recently lost the Mississippi Class 6A high school baseball championship to Southaven High, thanks in part to a trick play that came at a very crucial moment.
The Mississippi Class 6A baseball championship is a best-of-three series, you see. And in Game 1, with the score tied, 3-3, in the top of the 7th and final inning, Gulfport had a man on second and one out, giving them a great chance to grab the lead. However, on a 1-0 count to the batter, Southaven pitcher Wyatt Short faked a pickoff attempt to second. The shortstop and second baseman then pretended like the ball, which was not actually thrown, went into center field—an act just convincing enough to get the Gulfport baserunner to take off for third.
That’s when Short revealed that the ball never left his hand.  He then ran toward the runner, and got him out in a rundown at second base.

I'm pretty sure our coach had us practice that one.  I don't remember if it worked or not.  Regardless, I hope that kid's school is out for the summer.