Baseball players are often ridiculed for being unathletic. One play in the New York Yankees-Baltimore Orioles game gives life to such slander.
Baseball players are athletes by definition. But sometimes they don’t look like it. In a game between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles, a play at the plate left everyone wondering whether or not the players involved should still be considered athletes.
Caleb Joseph of the O’s attempts to score from first on a double. The relay throw to Yankees’ catcher, Austin Romine beats him by a mile and Joseph attempts to evade the tag.
But instead, he and Romine awkwardly embrace before crashing to the ground, seemingly in slow motion.
Athlete. ? pic.twitter.com/mL7w6citad
— MLB (@MLB) August 1, 2018
Paul O’Neill describes it perfectly.
“There’s no way to sugarcoat that. That was ugly.”
So unfortunately for baseball purists, this is a win for the “baseball players aren’t athletes” crowd. This looks more like something that happens in your beer league softball game on Sunday rather than a play in Yankee Stadium.
But as unathletic as the final part of this play was, the build-up to it was quite impressive. Shane Robinson makes a quick, strong throw to Gleyber Torres who throws a perfect one-hopper to nab Joseph.
Just a few years ago, Joseph might run full speed like a running back and light up Romine, but baseball is a different sport now. Gone are the days where Pete Rose would demolish a catcher in pursuit of scoring.
Instead, baseball fans are treated to this display of—athleticism. To be fair, it might not bring the same level of excitement that plays at home did just a few years ago, but if nothing else it can give everyone a good laugh.
