PHOENIX -- Jacob Misiorowski is already throwing heat as he ramps up for his first full season in the Majors and Cooper Pratt is one of the Brewers’ best prospects. No, the latter did not risk his life so the former could show off his fastball.
But the Brewers’ video production team made you think twice, didn’t they?
A couple of days after their Sal Frelick video game parody went viral, the Brewers were back with another installment of what they call their “arthouse baseball” series on Tuesday, featuring Misiorowski knocking an apple off the head of a seated Pratt with a well-placed pitch. Considering Misiorowski topped out at 104.3 mph in his rookie season (and that his command remains a work in progress), it looked like a death-defying stunt.
It's a stunt that even William Tell would be proud of. And for fans too young to know the legend of Tell, the Swiss folk hero is known, according to legend, for shooting an apple off his son's head with a bow and arrow.
And it had viewers guessing whether it was real or an artful effect -- even inside the clubhouse.
“Coop,” infielder David Hamilton said to Pratt while the two looked at their phones, “there’s no way … right?”
No, there’s no way. And it is not artificial intelligence, either. It was a trick of the trade from the video production team that includes senior manager of digital content Ezra Siegel, senior videographer and creative lead Carter Green and senior editor Cody Oasen, who have been playing around with ideas to reach young baseball fans.
It helps to have a clubhouse stocked with players willing to give anything a try. Misiorowski said his participation was an easy yes, and he seemed pleased with the result after the Brewers pushed it to their social media channels on Tuesday.
“Sick,” Misiorowski said.