That's spectacular. Really enjoyed the references to Casilla as a plant as well.

Casilla stepped in, but only barely, standing more than a full Pedroia away from home plate.

I'm stealing this.

The announcer was hilarious:

"Why take a bat up there?" [Casilla takes ball four, turns toward the dugout, pauses for a couple of seconds, tosses the bat, and takes a halting step toward the dugout before stopping and staring in that direction.] "And Casilla doesn't even know which direction to go now... the batboy points him toward first base.... Now Casilla will get instructions from Roberto Kelly as to which direction to go should the ball be hit."

This is all kinds of awesome.

Of course, when I was in college, a batter stepped out but the ump didn't give him time, as I was already in the windup. I shortarmed the pitch, missing low. My coach screamed at me from the dugout, like I meant to miss.

ColonelTom, I agree- "a full Pedroia" needs to be used more often.

Not surprised that Casilla was probably told to bat that way since Dan Runzler dislocated his kneecap last year when he took an actual swing! at an actual pitch! (since Runzler is now starting for Fresno, he's had real plate appearances in 2011.)

Casilla played three games in the outfield for the 2002 Rookie Level Athletics. He went 6 for 13 with three extra base hits.

Two words, Jeff:

Eddie Gaedel.

Wow. Why is all of Ceda's stuff tailing? Can't he throw four straight fastballs?

What makes the "full Pedroia" reference even more awesome is the accompanying pic.

I'm stealing this.

And why not? It's already been stolen from me.

The article is waaay too critical of the pitcher; maybe he wanted Casilla on base, to foil the Giants strategy of making sure Casilla did not hurt himself. The pitcher took his chances on getting out of an inning and giving up a 2 out walk, in return for making the Giants go one pitcher deeper from their bullpen, if Casilla hurt himself on the bases.

The article is waaay too critical of the pitcher; maybe he wanted Casilla on base, to foil the Giants strategy of making sure Casilla did not hurt himself.

Casilla should have kept walking until he was a few Pedroias off first base and then gotten picked off. Or he could have seen how committed Ceda was to the strategy and kept walking until he scored.

maybe he wanted Casilla on base, to foil the Giants strategy of making sure Casilla did not hurt himself.

Can't tell if serious...or trolling.

This PA reminded me of the one from a few years ago where a Mets pitcher (I can't remember who it was) stood in the box like that against Randy Johnson. IIRC, he ended up hitting a double over the outfielders heads after he had lulled everybody into a false sense of security.

(I can't remember who it was)

Mr. Koo

Looks like Ceda just got the yips. It happens; tour golfers sometimes miss half-Pedroia putts.

I think Koo also scored on a crazy play at the plate.

Oh man, the video of Koo hitting the double is tremendous! Fans of McCarver looking like an ass need to tune in.

Koo vs Johnson

Also: David Wright screeching like Howard Dean, and Joe Buck trying to speak Korean.

And Mike Cameron standing in the Mets dugout looking like Barry Bonds.

BEST. VIDEO. EVER.

True story: In 1999, I'm playing in a co-ed softball league in Boston, but it's pretty competitive. Most of the players - both men and women - are pretty good at softball. I was the cleanup hitter, and they had me pitch because I was a) left-handed, b) could throw a really good, high-arching slow-pitch knuckleball with no spin at all on it, which leads to lots of harmless popups and routine fly outs, and c) our weak link was a young woman who was the catcher, but for any play at the plate I'd run to play the role of catcher.

So, last inning, we're up by a run, and the other team loads the bases with two outs. The next batter is the weakest hitter on the team, a young woman who usually didn't play, with no power. I didn't have to worry about her hitting the ball into a gap to end the game.

It's a "three balls, three strikes" league, and the ump is squeezing me on the strike zone calls. She swings at the first pitch, and fouls it weakly. Then, she takes a ball. The count is now 2-and-1. She takes another swing, fouls it weakly again, and it's now 2-and-2.

The manager of her team now realizes what I already knew - their best chance of winning would be to take pitches, hope to walk, walk in the tying run, and bring the top of the order out with a chance of winning the game. So he yells out, "Don't swing at anything - make the ump call strike 3!"

Everybody now knows she won't swing at anything. Both benches are talking trash. I throw a straight pitch with backspin, and the umpire says the pitch was too flat - ball three.

Now, the pressure is on. She's not even holding the bat upright, she's leaning on it in the batter's box. My best pitch is a knuckleball, so I throw it, as if it was their best hitter. Right down broadway, strike three, game over.

Lesson 1: It's harder than you think to throw a straight pitch on command, when most of the time you are not trying to throw a meatball.
Lesson 2: The Marlins' pitcher should've just pitched like it was a regular hitter. I think Castilla standing so awkwardly at the plate probably made it tougher to throw strikes...

As far as I can tell, five left-handed-hitting relief pitchers hit against Randy Johnson in his career. They went 3 for 5 with two singles and Koo's double. One of the outs was an RBI ground-out. We've finally discovered Randy Johnson's weakness.

Well, that and Joe McEwing.

It's been a long few years for Mets' fans. Collapses, injuries, Madoff. Thanks for posting that video, PreservedFish. We need those moments, don't we?

I believe Gallardo is the only pitcher to HR off of Randy Johnson. If I recall he hammered one down the LF line at SF.

I throw a straight pitch with backspin, and the umpire says the pitch was too flat - ball three.

If it's a "three balls, three strikes" league, why didn't she walk here? Does that mean something else?

If it's a "three balls, three strikes" league, why didn't she walk here? Does that mean something else?

I gather the count starts at 1-0, based on the play by play provided.

If it's a "three balls, three strikes" league, why didn't she walk here? Does that mean something else?

I thought the same thing, also wondering how this works "She swings at the first pitch, and fouls it weakly. Then, she takes a ball. The count is now 2-and-1." I think SOSH U in #25 probably has the explanation.

Another story:

This girl I knew wanted us to play together on a JC intermural softball team. So I assume she knows how to play. Her first AB, it's obvious she doesn't even know the rules. She swings twice like that guy in the animated.gif the other day. The guy getting the running start. Her third swing she somehow makes contact, we have to tell her to run to first. Whoever fielded it threw wildly, so we're redirecting her and telling her to run to second....she's run to second and is safe! Then she keeps on running into left field.

She never played again.

This was really funny - nice job Jeff.

This is from the same guy who wrote that great article about baseball players and their respective volcanoes. Definitely one of my new favorite sportswriters.

Edit: Is he a primate? Why is everyone here calling him by his first name?

Oh, Jairo. I ... don't miss you at all.