A few weeks back Trevor Bauer closed out his time with the Indians by chucking a ball over the center field wall after being removed from a game. Ensuing headaches aside, it was a pretty impressive throw.
During Friday night's loss to the Athletics (OAK 14, TEX 9), Rangers reliever Shawn Kelley took a page from Bauer's playbook and threw a ball into the second deck behind home plate, only he didn't do it on purpose. Home plate umpire Mark Carlson called time right as Kelley started his delivery and it was a little too late to slow things down. Check it out:
Usually when that happens, the pitcher will deliver the ball to the plate to avoid hurting himself. Or he'll spike it or not throw it at all. For Kelley, the second deck it is. Didn't look intentional -- Kelley seemed to get caught by surprise and the ball slipped -- but the second deck is where it landed.
Friday was Friday the 13th, so of course something weird happened. Those folks sitting in the second deck behind the plate were surely hoping to catch a foul ball or two. A pitched ball though? That might be a first.
