NEWSLETTER
It’s videos like this that remind me of how fun baseball can naturally be. If you haven’t seen the particular play below, you’re in for a treat. It’s a classic.
Down by a run, in a 1-1 count, in the bottom of the 3rd, Ryan Braun stood up to the plate and took Jake Westbrook deep to left center field. Cardinals center fielder Allen Craig misplays his catch and the ball shoots out into center field, giving Braun a chance for an inside-the-park homer.
As he rounds second base, chugging along at full speed, his helmet comes off, but pays no attention. Clearly, Braun is focused, determined and unaffected by the intensity of the moment… and then this happens as he rounds third base:
Braun loses his balance take one wrong step, then two and then no more steps, because he is flat on his face halfway between home plate and third. He tries to get up, and falls again. The ball gets thrown in and Braun is tagged out.
But this is why and how baseball can be so inherently fun. Was that play embarrassing? Yes. Was it hilarious? Definitely. Did his teammates make fun of him afterwards? I’m sure of it. But it doesn’t matter. Braun laughs it off, the Brewers fans graciously provide a standing ovation and we get to watch this play on loop for the rest of our lives.
It’s not serious and he didn’t make a mistake. He played hard, ran hard, tried hard … and failed miserably. That’s baseball and that’s life. There’s nothing to do but laugh.
Oh, and if you’re one of his teammates, there’s nothing to do but laugh AND troll the heck out of him:
