What could we expect from Daredevil on the diamond? Marvel's editor-in-chief weighs in
What could we expect from Daredevil on the diamond?
Daredevil made his triumphant live-action return on Friday, when Netflix filled your weekend schedule by releasing all 13 episodes of its new comic book-inspired series starring Charlie Cox. Of course, a show featuring the most famous blind superhero begs one question: No, not "What was up with the Ben Affleck film?" but "What kind of baseball player would Daredevil be?"
Just in case you're not familiar with Daredevil's backstory: A childhood accident blinded Hell's Kitchen resident Matt Murdock but gifted him with extraordinary senses to compensate for his lack of sight. And if a blind lawyer-ninja can leap from building to building while taking down New York's criminal elite, wouldn't he do pretty well on the ballfield?
We knew we needed to get the official answer. Fortunately, Marvel Comics' editor-in-chief and resident Giants fan, Axel Alonso, was willing to help. We chatted with Alonso by phone earlier this week, and then converted his comments into the scouting report below. Expect a major bidding war should Daredevil ever decide to turn pro.
(All comments Alonso's. Interview edited for clarity and length.)
Name: Matt Murdock
Alias: Daredevil
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 185 lbs
Glasses: No ... but he is blind.
| Non-Pitcher | Pres. | Fut. | Pitcher | Pres. | Fut. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hitting Ability | 60 | 80 | Fastball | 55 | 65 |
| Power | 40 | 50 | Life of FB | 65 | 70 |
| Running Speed | 80 | 80 | Curve | 55 | 70 |
| Base Running | 80 | 80 | Control | 80 | 80 |
| Arm Strength | 65 | 70 | Changeup | 40 | 70 |
| Arm Accuracy | 70 | 80 | Slider | 45 | 80 |
| Fielding | 70 | 80 | Other | ||
| Range | 80 | 80 | Poise | 80 | 80 |
Position: SS/P
He'd certainly make a fantastic pitcher. He's blind, but he's not that blind. His heightened senses would allow him to pinpoint things with almost the same accuracy as sight. He'd find ways to put torque and spin on the ball that would make him a really formidable pitcher to hit against.
How Daredevil would likely see a baseball field.
I think he'd be a perfect shortstop. He'd cover so much ground using his speed and athleticism, and his radar sense would help him throw out anybody from any position and any angle. Whether it's over his head or past him, he would be able to get to that ball, and he'd have the soft hands to corral it. Like the best shortstops who are able to throw on the move, on the fly, when they're off balance, falling backwards, on the floor, whatever, he'd get that ball into the mitt of whoever he wanted to. He would be a Gold Glove shortstop.
Hitting:
This is a guy who has gone up against incredibly skilled villains like Bullseye. Daredevil's radar sense would definitely allow him to find that angle on the plate.
Daredevil also has an uncanny ability to read your tell. He can hear your heartbeat, he can smell your sweat. So, if you're behind on the count, he's gonna know you're anxious. He's gonna be able to read you.
Let's put it this way: he'd be a great Giant. He'd go deep in the count. And then he'd get those blooper hits. He's not like Captain America or the Hulk. He doesn't have super strength -- he's well above average -- but he's not a Major League slugger.
Makeup:
Daredevil has had his downs, but that's when the entire world has been at him and everything has been taken away from him. I doubt very much that he wouldn't have the character to survive a hitting slump or a few unkind words from the press or the fans. He's got more than enough character to ride that out.
Signability:
Daredevil won't put anything, including his legal practice, above his responsibilities as a crimefighter.
----
After putting all of that information into our Cut4 super-computer, it spat out this projected season-long batting line:
380 PA (a late scratch in many games as he leaves to fight crime), .307/.386/.422, 7 HR, 63 RBI, 22 SB
Of course, Daredevil isn't the only Marvel character with a Major League future. His arch nemesis, Bullseye, who "can kill a fly with a pin from 100 feet," actually was a Major League pitcher ... until he decided to kill a player with a fastball just because he could.
According to Alonso, if Bullseye wanted to make a go of it as a Major League pitcher, "He would pretty much do whatever he'd like on the mound." When asked if the villain would be the best pitcher in the league, Alonso was emphatic, "With all due respect to anyone that's hurled, yes."
As for the other Marvel villain with a Major League history, Boomerang, sadly there are no plans for him to return to the rubber.
(Boomerang shape-shifted as rookie sensation Demang Pendak after taking the Chameleon's serum ... That's comics!)
Will we see Daredevil take the field in the Netflix series? Will Matt Murdock become the first lawyer/crimefighter/Hall of Fame baseball player in comic-book history? While Murdock's signability concerns seemingly point to no, anything is possible. And I do mean anything:
