Brett Phillips is MLB’s Most Unique Reliever
Pitching is hard. It takes a ton of raw physical talent to touch 100 MPH. Heck, I’m still in awe that pretty much every major leaguer can reach 90 MPH with ease… even if they’ve never stepped foot on the mound before.
Brett Phillips is a perfect example of that. Since his professional debut a decade ago, Phillips, who has received an 80-grade on his arm, has close to 4,000 plate appearances and zero innings pitched. Until last night.
The Blue Jays were trouncing the Rays 10 – 1 going into the bottom of the eighth when Tampa decided to give their bullpen a rest and call upon Phillips. Every reliever needs some sort of gimmick or mannerism that helps them stand out. Mariano Rivera loved breaking bats. Fernando Rodney wore his cap sideways. Phillips’ mechanics remind me of a walking Rube Goldberg machine.
when you check ‘how to pitch’ on wikihow before the game pic.twitter.com/n5WuwOxcWn
— Cut4 (@Cut4) July 3, 2021
Okay, it’s a bit… different. But I’ve seen some successful weird deliveries over the years. Phillips hasn’t spent years honing his pitching routine in the minors, so he’s still trying to figure out what type of reliever he wants to be. His entrance, which seems like an homage to Heath Bell, seems like he’s trying to intimidate batters before even stepping on the mound.
https://gfycat.com/onlyunfortunatedodo
But it’s hard to be scared by Phillips, who golden retriever-like personality and iconic laugh make him one of baseball’s most lovable players. Phillips is just super excited for his first pitching appearance and can barely hold onto the ball
.
Brett "The Bird" Phillips. Balk. 😂 pic.twitter.com/xbbM2zbs0z
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 3, 2021
After watching his warmup, what did you expect from his first pitch? Because both myself and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. surely didn’t expect this.
https://gfycat.com/idioticfearlessboar
94.3 MPH?! That was tied for the fastest pitch thrown by any Ray yesterday other than Luis Patiño. But what makes that even more special is that every other pitch thrown by Phillips was 50.4 MPH or slower. Phillips’ approach was literally, “throw the first pitch as fast as possible, then coast through the rest of the inning.”
Despite sitting in the high-40s, Phillips worked a respectable inning for a novice pitcher, recording a line of 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB and 0 K.
Joe Kelly: Mariachi Fashion Icon
Joe Kelly isn’t afraid to let his personality shine. He wears some of the most stylish glasses in the game. His tendency to throw at rival hitters earned Kelly a spot in Dodger lore. And when the reigning World Champions visited the White House, Kelly sported one of the freshest jackets ever seen at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
JOE KELLY IS WEARING THE MARIACHI JACKET TO THE WHITE HOUSE 😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/a2eZgwHt3M
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) July 2, 2021
But where exactly did Kelly get this drip? A couple days ago, Kenley Jansen wanted to spice practice up by bringing a mariachi band onto the field during warmup.
Get the story behind Joe Kelly's White House mariachi jacket on tonight's brand-new #BackstageDodgers following the post-game show! 🎥 pic.twitter.com/QXoVJGHUGE
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) July 2, 2021
Kelly used this opportunity to make a trade and expand his wardrobe.
Joe Kelly traded his Dodgers jersey for a @mgarijc mariachi jacket 👀
(via mgarijc/Instagram) pic.twitter.com/xDwaPx2IFB
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) June 29, 2021
I think Kelly won that trade.
Christian Yelich Passes the Torch
A couple days ago, one young fan made a catch so spectacular that Christian Yelich had to give him props.
Nice catch kid! 👊🏻 https://t.co/8vEA0ay8R1
— Christian Yelich (@ChristianYelich) July 2, 2021
The story didn’t end there. If you noticed at the end of the video, the kid tried getting Yelich to sign the foul ball. But since players rarely sign autographs during games, he had to wait until the next game.
Yesterday, Yelich surprised the budding outfield star with a gift that far surpassed the fan’s wildest dreams.
Had to take care of my guy after last night! 🤙🏻 https://t.co/1ovV1qDQ7B
— Christian Yelich (@ChristianYelich) July 3, 2021
Such a great gesture to create a lifelong fan. The inscription on the bat? “Great catch! See you in the show!”
Freeman Can’t Wait to Meet Tatis Jr.
There’s no denying that Fernando Tatis Jr. is one of baseball’s most exciting stars. We see that every time he steps up to the plate. You can also see it if you show up early to a game and witness the mob of Phanatics that surround Tatis Jr. whenever he signs autographs.
"Niño, I'm your biggest Phan!" pic.twitter.com/SJu0dXR2SB
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 2, 2021
Want to know just how much the baseball world loves Tatis Jr.? When Freddie Freeman received his fifth career All-Star selection, both himself and his son Charlie (baseball’s most sought after four-year-old prospect) were thrilled.
Not because Freddie added one more accomplishment to his Hall of Fame candidacy. But because Charlie would have the chance to meet Tatis Jr. in person.
Freddie Freeman was voted into the All-Star Game and is excited so that his son, Charlie, can meet Fernando Tatís Jr. 😭@Padres | #HungryForMore pic.twitter.com/Q8vKO2X0vp
— Bally Sports San Diego (@BallySportsSD) July 3, 2021
Friday’s Groundskeeper of the Day Goes to…
Groundskeepers are the unsung heroes of the baseball world. Without them, we literally wouldn’t be able to play baseball. So instead of paying homage to Friday’s most notable fan, I wanted to give a quick shoutout to the people in Buffalo, who worked hard squeegeeing (what a weird looking word) the field to ensure that we could witness Brett Phillips‘ major league debut.
It all started to go down hill when he went for the one-handed squeegee grip. 🌊#RaysUp #MLB pic.twitter.com/85Iz8HZ1EV
— Bally Sports Sun: Rays (@BallyRays) July 3, 2021
Here’s to you, grounds crew!
Photo by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns of Twitter)