Aroldis Chapman gets Javy Baez to swing so hard he falls to the ground
Light a candle and pray to the baseball gods, because Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman claimed another victim Wednesday.
This time, it was Chicago Cubs infielder Javier Baez. With two men, Baez was called upon to hit against Chapman. He represented the possible tying run. After spending most of this season in the minors, this was Baez's first big opportunity to prove himself in the majors this year.
[Elsewhere: 10 important MLB storylines for September.]
He may have been a little overexcited. Knowing a fastball was likely on a 3-1 count, Baez nearly swung out of his shoes to hit it out of the park. The momentum and speed of his bat were so much that Baez immediately fell to the ground following his swing.
The whole thing looked pretty embarrassing, and yet, we can't really fault Baez here. Everyone looks silly against Chapman, and asking a player to come off the bench and hit him seems pretty cruel. While swinging as hard as possible might not be the best idea, it's hardly the worst strategy against a guy who routines destroys hitters.
[On this week's StewPod: Listen to our September MLB predictions.]
Baez was able to recover somewhat on the next pitch. He made contact, which was a huge step in the right direction. Problem is, he grounded into a fielder's choice. He didn't get the job done, but he recovered after a disastrous moment.
Honestly, we're not even laughing at Baez here. Chapman is awesome, and we know we would look much worse at the plate if we ever had to face him. Also, it's crazy to think any player could come off the bench and immediately hit Chapman.
We sympathize with you, Baez. You'll get 'em next time, we're sure of it!
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
- - - - - - -
Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
