Jackie Bradley, Jr. deserves an Oscar for fooling a Pittsburgh Pirates base-runner into an easy force out.
Never assume a baseball has left the yard unless you see it with your own eyes, folks. They teach you that in little league. Unfortunately, the 2021 Pittsburgh Pirates often resemble a little league team on the basepaths.
This is the same team that allowed Javier Baez to thoroughly embarrass them on the basepaths thanks to the actions of first baseman Will Craig, who forgot he could simply tag first base on the play. It’s just been that kind of season for Pittsburgh.
Bradley, Jr. helped out staff ace Corbin Burnes, pretending that the ball was gone off the bat and allowing the Pirates base-runner to assume it was, in fact, in the PNC Park bleachers. Instead, JBJ quickly made the catch and made a spinning throw towards first base.
By my estimation, he was out by a full foot.
Jackie Bradley, Jr. made Jacob Stallings look foolish
Stallings, a catcher, ought to know better in this situation. If anything, it speaks to just how impressive of a deke that was by Bradley, Jr.
JBJ had Ben Gamel fooled, as well. It’s been a rough season so far for Gamel, who is hitting just .208. Assuming he had hit a home run, only to be used as a prop to nab his teammate at first base, has to be infuriating.
All in all, this is just another example of a Derek Shelton-coached team that is utterly clueless on the basepaths. What else is new?