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| Cespedes making plays with his arm. Photo credit: Kelley L.Cox, US Presswire |
Yoenis Cespedes is known for his all around great game, but his arm has been the star of the show the past two nights in major league baseball. We see all sorts of throws in baseball, ranging from laughable and way off the target to ones that make you stop and just say “How did he make that throw” Cespedes had not one but two of those type of highlight throws in the just completes series the Athletics had vs. the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
By: Michael Hanley
Just when you thought there's no way that Cespedes could make that type of play on an outfield assist again, he gave everyone in baseball another dazzling throw that makes you wonder if he is a player with actual super hero like strength.
The first amazing catch came on Tuesday night as he initially boots the ball to the wall along the stands in left field. At that point you're wondering how many runs the Angels could score out of this error, since there was no way Yoenis could do anything with the ball now that it is near the corner. Howie Kendrick had walked prior to Mike Trout smoking the ball to left field for a ringing double and was almost a lock to come home and score easily for the Angels. Not so fast, as Cespedes unleashed a throw that would have even made Peyton Manning stop and look on with awe. It was a perfect strike to home plate as he was able to rob the Angels of a sure fire run and complete the best outfield assist that any outfielder has completed this season:
The sheer amount of speed and arc he got on the throw to his catcher Derek Norris was mind blowing. Cespedes’ throw took away the attention from a tough night at the plate for him as he went 1 for 6 in a game that the A’s lost 2-1 to LA that night.
Just when you thought there's no way that Cespedes could make that type of play on an outfield assist again, he gave everyone in baseball another dazzling throw that makes you wonder if he is a player with actual super hero like strength.
On Wednesday night vs the Angels, it was nearly deja vu again for the 28 year old slugger. On this night, he once again misplayed a ball in left field with an Angers runner on base trying to take advantage of this mistake, the runner this time being Albert Pujols. Now Pujols is not the most fleet of foot as a runner but figuring Cespedes still had to get the ball, he could possibly get to third base with relative ease and stretch his double into a rare triple. Once again Cespedes burned them for trying to run on him by throwing another perfect strike this time to third baseman Josh Donaldson who easily tagged Pujols out before he could even reach the bag:
Pujols looked as if he had just run a marathon as he put every bit of energy and hustle into that full gallop to try to get from home plate to third base. What made this outfield assist even more remarkable is that the ball kicked off the wall in the left field corner which further delayed a throw by Cespedes. Still he was able to gather it and throw a perfect ball to Donaldson, needing not even one bounce to get it there. Once again the Angels were denied a potential scoring opportunity or any thought of a big inning.
These two throws Cespedes made during the past two nights highlights that baseball is not all about just pitching and hitting, fielding can play a major role in how games or won and lost. Its not necessarily plays that will fill up a box score but its play that can change the feel and momentum of a game in an instant.
To all future runners on the basepaths, if you see Cespedes gathering the ball and making a throw, don’t try and stretch out a hit anymore than it should or you could be the next victim in the ever growing highlight reel of Cespedes’ outfield assists.
