Tweet
Pedroia takes inspiration from Usain Bolt - disaster ensues
10:05 PM Sat, Apr 25, 2009 | Permalink
Dan Barbarisi
Email
It's not often that the celebrity who throws out the first pitch is invoked as the reason why something happened later in that day's game -- but leave it to Dustin Pedroia to make anything possible.
The gold-glove fielder and heads-up baserunner made two uncharacteristic gaffes in the space of one inning yesterday, getting tagged out trying to advance to second on a sacrifice fly, and then letting a Johnny Damon ground ball go through his legs on defense.
Afterwards, he said he knew the cause: Usain Bolt, the Jamaicain sprinter who threw out the first pitch. Clearly, the Olympic medalist had made Pedroia think he had the speed of an world record-holder.
"I'm chalking all that stuff up to Usain Bolt throwing out the first pitch. I thought I was fast on [the sac fly], and then I was fast on the ground ball."
Technically speaking, there may have been other reasons. On the ground ball, he simply got there too quickly.
"I overran it. It was hit real hard, and I thought I was going to have to backhand it, and I got to it quicker than I thought I would. And I tried to turn my glove over, and by the time I did that, it went through my legs," he said. Two men scored on the error.
And on the failed advance on the sacrifice fly, he was tricked by a veteran, Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter -- who made Pedroia think there was no one in position to tag him out at second.
"Jeter kind of deked me there. I tagged up, and he took the cutoff throw back real far. I thought nobody was there, he kind of picked it. Smart play on his part," Pedroia said.
Or, it could have all been Usain Bolt's fault.
10:05 PM Sat, Apr 25, 2009 | Permalink
Dan Barbarisi
Email It's not often that the celebrity who throws out the first pitch is invoked as the reason why something happened later in that day's game -- but leave it to Dustin Pedroia to make anything possible.
The gold-glove fielder and heads-up baserunner made two uncharacteristic gaffes in the space of one inning yesterday, getting tagged out trying to advance to second on a sacrifice fly, and then letting a Johnny Damon ground ball go through his legs on defense.
Afterwards, he said he knew the cause: Usain Bolt, the Jamaicain sprinter who threw out the first pitch. Clearly, the Olympic medalist had made Pedroia think he had the speed of an world record-holder.
"I'm chalking all that stuff up to Usain Bolt throwing out the first pitch. I thought I was fast on [the sac fly], and then I was fast on the ground ball."
Technically speaking, there may have been other reasons. On the ground ball, he simply got there too quickly.
"I overran it. It was hit real hard, and I thought I was going to have to backhand it, and I got to it quicker than I thought I would. And I tried to turn my glove over, and by the time I did that, it went through my legs," he said. Two men scored on the error.
And on the failed advance on the sacrifice fly, he was tricked by a veteran, Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter -- who made Pedroia think there was no one in position to tag him out at second.
"Jeter kind of deked me there. I tagged up, and he took the cutoff throw back real far. I thought nobody was there, he kind of picked it. Smart play on his part," Pedroia said.
Or, it could have all been Usain Bolt's fault.
Comment