In his time with the Chicago Cubs, Javier Báez was CONSTANTLY doing things to justify his El Mago nickname. Coming up with a list of Javy’s 10 best moments would be a torturous (but enjoyable!) process.
That said, I think very few would disagree that the moment that MOST typified what it is to be El Mago was the one that happened five years ago today in Pittsburgh. Through a feat of pure magic never since duplicated, Javy Báez stepped onto the field and made the Pirates lose their mind and forget the basic rules of baseball.
Over at ESPN, Jesse Rogers spoke to some of the folks there that day, including some of the people involved (unfortunately former Pirates first baseman Will Craig was not among them). It’s a happy memory:
New at ESPN: It's the 5 yr anniversary of one of the greatest baserunning plays ever. I had a blast going down memory lane for this oral history of an El Mago moment. "Me and Javy called safe at the plate at about the same time!" Story here: t.co/nCtyW9ngwO
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) May 27, 2026So many great quotes. You have to read the thing. Among my favorites:
Pirates catcher Michael Perez: “Our first baseman fell for Javy’s trap. Everyone was literally off the field. They were all walking towards the dugout. They looked back like, ‘What is going on?’ Even me, I was saying, ‘What is going on?’
Home plate umpire Ryan Additon: “Me and Javy called safe at the plate at about the same time.”
Jim Deshaies: “The fact that he called Willson safe at home plate before he started running to first was just hilarious.”
Pirates manager Derek Shelton: “It’s a really freaky play we’ll see one time in a lifetime. Unfortunately, I saw it as the manager of that team.”
As for the play, itself, enjoy watching this one again and again and again:
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