NEWSLETTER
With an 0-2 count against the pitcher, Jake Arrieta, in the fourth inning of yesterday’s Cubs/Cards match-up, Cardinals’ righty Adam Wainwright unleashed what was probably the single worst pitch I’ve ever witnessed – and I think I may even be including most ceremonial first pitches in that assessment.
See if for yourself:
https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/849445482984288266
This immediately comes to mind:
But apparently, it wasn’t quite the “accident,” that it seems. In fact, according to Wainwright, he actually did that ON PURPOSE.
Yeah …. we’ll be the judges of that.
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So what was his big excuse? What was it that made him throw that pitch like he just stuck his hand into a jar filled with honey?
Well, at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Cardinals’ beat writer Derrick Goold has the scoop:
“I saw him [catcher Yadier Molina] shift outside and I was looking at a different part of the plate,” Wainwright explained after the Cardinals’ 2-1 loss to the Cubs.
“When I saw that, instantly – and I saw it before – I thought he was looking for a breaking ball and I had fastball grip. I did not want to throw a ball and hit him in the collarbone or something and have Yadier out. I pull-hooked it and erred on the side of not hitting him – by 20, 30 yards.”
I think that’s what they – in the business – like to call a likely story. But okay, I’m listening.
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In Wainwright’s defense, the Cardinals did, in fact, switch up their signs when the Cubs got a runner to second base earlier in the game, according to Goold. So however unlikely it seems, it is possible the two simply got confused.
Then again:
Adam Wainwright has thrown 1,770.1 innings in his career. Yadier Molina has caught 1,500.1 of them (roughly 85%).
— Michael Cerami (@Michael_Cerami) April 5, 2017
After the wild pitch, Molina reportedly went up to Wainwright to offer a suggestion in case this situation ever happens again:Â Next time, just throw it. I’ll catch it.Â
Sounds like a plan.
