04/18/24
May 06, 2011
Reporter Hit By Pitch: Kansas City Star sports reporter Lee Judge wrote earlier this season that Wilson Betemit should have taken one for the team and let himself get hit by an 81-mph slider with the bases loaded in a tie game. "Just stand still, take a knock, bring in Soria for the ninth and go home a winner," he lamented. After musing out loud about what he was asking of the player, Judge ended up taking a pitch himself in the team's batting cages with amused players looking on. "I hope you all appreciate the sacrifice I made when I gave up my six-pack abs to build up some protective fat around my waist," he said. "I've been training for this for 58 years."
well worth the watch..
Yeah it was. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him wear that 92mph heater.
posted by BornIcon at 02:21 PM on May 06, 2011
As someone who with some fellow interns once decided that this type of activity was a good idea following a couple of adult type beverages, I will give the guy credit for standing in there and taking it. And he is right about the thinking about it doesn't help any.
posted by Demophon at 03:15 PM on May 06, 2011
Awesome link, thank you, rcade .
posted by tommybiden at 03:18 PM on May 06, 2011
Ha, that's great. I'm still not sure he realizes how hard it is to take a pitch. You're so focused on hitting that when the pitch comes at you it's just pure reaction to get out of the way. The easiest ones to take are the one's that are closer to the strike zone as they don't break your concentration like the ones that come at you center mass.
He was right to wear an elbow pad. The worst place I've ever been hit was right above the elbow. Hurt like hell and must have done something to my nerves as when I looked down to check out my arm, which I thought was dangling by my side, I found that it was actually still holding on to the bat. Couldn't feel my arm for the rest of the inning.
posted by tron7 at 04:09 PM on May 06, 2011
I think he kinda got a raw deal.
1. He's going to be super tense because he knows he's going to be hit. He's not preparing to swing. He's preparing to be hit. Big difference.
2. He doesn't really know how to lessen the impact. Players are hit enough they instinctually twist (or something similar) to lessen the impact. He doesn't do much of anything.
3. He doesn't have any in-game adrenaline going. The kind that helps with the pain until later.
All in all, he's pretty brave. I'd rather hit against 90 mph pitching knowing I could get hit than face 81 knowing I will get hit.
posted by justgary at 08:34 PM on May 06, 2011
Love this. He does have much more natural padding there than those lean ballplayers. It is easy for writers and commenters to criticize, but much harder to offer solutions or be willing to back up what they say. This guy wanted to man up to his blog posting about Wilson Betemit and did. Btw, as a Yankee fan for whom Wilson once played, he should have taken the hit.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 09:18 PM on May 06, 2011
Brilliant - well worth the watch - thanks rcade.