Beavers honor McCray on ‘bobblefence’ night

PORTLAND – Outfielder Rodney McCray became famous for a memorable sports blooper. Now he has been immortalized with a bobblehead.

Back in 1991, the player for the minor league Vancouver Canadians crashed through the Flav-R-Pac sign at the former Civic Stadium – now PGE Park. The crash was caught on television and is often replayed.

“Usually it’s the big league superstars who get their own bobblehead, so I’m very excited,” McCray said.

“Rodney McCray Bobblefence Night” was held Saturday when the Triple-A Portland Beavers hosted the Tacoma Rainiers. The first 2,000 fans through the gates received a figurine – a bobble-headed likeness of McCray and a swinging Flav-R-Pac fence panel.

McCray, making his first visit to the park since the night of the Crash, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. The Beavers dedicated right-center field as “McCray Alley.”

The Crash occurred in the seventh inning of the Beavers’ game against the Canadians. Portland second baseman Chip Hale hit a fly into deep right-center field. McCray gave chase at full speed.

A plywood fence panel flipped up when McCray hit, and he wound up on other side of the fence.

As for the ball, it bounced off the wall and fell back into play, good for an RBI triple.

“I might not be a hall-of-fame player, but I made it to the hall of fame with a film clip. Not too many guys can say they’re in the hall of fame, some way, some form. It’s still pretty cool,” said McCray, who played for the Spokane Indians in 1984.