Ever wondered what it would look like if you got to pitch in a Major League game?
I don't mean that question rhetorically. I don't mean it in a "in your backyard, imagining yourself on the mound in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the World Series" sort of way. I don't mean it in a "someone's just developed a crazy virtual reality system that puts you _right there_" sort of way.
I mean have you ever wanted to see what it would look like if you, Mary from accounting, found yourself on the mound in a Major League Baseball game, trying to protect a lead in extra innings? Because thanks to O's outfielder Stevie Wilkerson -- yes, we said outfielder -- we've got your answer:
closer stuff pic.twitter.com/Z2GbJJA92y
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 26, 2019
Obviously, this isn't the first time we've seen a position player become a pitcher -- heck, this was Wilkerson's third appearance this season. But never have we seen a position player pitching with so much on the line: The outfielder entered in the bottom of the 16th inning, with Baltimore trying to hang on to a 10-8 lead.
And, more importantly, never have we seen a position player look so much like, well, a regular human being. Seriously, every pitch looked like that one up there -- according to the broadcast radar gun, not a single pitch cracked even 60 mph. Look at this!
This is not a photo taken at a Major League game, this is a photo taken at your work softball league. But somehow, some way, it worked: Wilkerson pitched a 1-2-3 inning to give the O's the win ... and make some baseball history:
Stevie Wilkerson is the first position player EVER to record a save (saves became an official stat in 1969).
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) July 26, 2019
Hey, you can probably throw 55-mph lobs in the vicinity of the strike zone too. Time to hire an agent.
