March 12, 2013

BP Unfiltered

Two Unrelated Baseball Highlights

by Sam Miller

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1. Highlight no. 1

On a flyball to right-center field, strong-armed Joe Ferguson cuts in front of center fielder Jimmy Wynn and, throwing against his momentum, sends a perfect strike home. It is a play they discussed earlier in the game. Runner is out. Wynn, having no baseball to throw, nonetheless ever-so-subtly cocks his right shoulder back and then follows through with the slightest remnant of his prepared-for throw.

(Question on Yahoo! Answers: How did Joe Ferguson of the LA Dodgers develop his powerful arm that was used in the 1974 World Series?
Response on Yahoo! Answers: You're asking a group made up of 98% illiterate 14 year olds who don't know baseball existed before 2005. They have no idea who Joe Ferguson is. Now if you have a question about an Velliumx14a - b122c-&mm bat, this is the place. But if you ask, make sure you misspell every other word.)

Steve Yeager's left leg somehow survives the encounter at home

while a surly old man flips the bird, to his wife's embarrassed amusement. She quickly implores him to lower his arm. 

The sun is out, the baseball is exciting, Vietnam War is winding down. Sure, life ain't easy, but we all make it through, don't we?

2. Highlight no. 2

Roy Halladay, today, to Don Kelly, throws the worst pitch that has ever been thrown. 

These highlights are unrelated, and there is no connection to be drawn, though it occurs to me now that the Phillies would have been better off if Joe Ferguson had cut in front of Halladay at the last second and thrown the pitch instead. Or if, as Roy Halladay prepared to throw this pitch, the surly old man's wife had put her hand on Halladay's arm and, with an abashed smile, told him, "now now put it down dear."

Sam Miller is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @SamMillerBB
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