Oh, welcome back to Major League Baseball! I will be bringing you the Best MLB Moments from Sunday’s action across baseball throughout the year. Weekend baseball is a different kettle of fish and always produces the goods when it comes to the wonderful and the downright weird. The opening weekend has been no exception. Enjoy that hot coffee, sit back and relax as Pitcher List fills you in on all you need to know from yesterday’s action.
Don’t forget to gobble up your daily dose of Nastiest Pitches from Sunday, which also features the Japanese sensation that we may as well wax lyrical about straight from the off.
ShoTime
There isn’t anyone who loves baseball who does not want Shohei Ohtani to succeed. The idealist’s dream of the elite two-way player, so long held back from us because of a myriad of injuries to the Japanese superstar, began to shift into reality before our very eyes on Sunday Night Baseball on ESPN. Milestone one – Ohtani hit 101 mph on the radar gun in the top of the first inning and threw another two fastballs that topped 100 mph.
https://gfycat.com/needybothfrenchbulldog
Then, in the bottom on the 1st, he took Dylan Cease way, way back by launching a 450-foot home run into the stands. Don’t you just love baseball?
https://gfycat.com/kindlylavisheastrussiancoursinghounds
The night ended in a somewhat bizarre and worrying fashion as Ohtani was forced to leave the game after a collision at home plate with reigning AL MVP José Abreu, who executed a perfect soccer-style slide tackle.
Shohei Ohtani was forced to leave the game after being slid into at home during this fluke play. pic.twitter.com/vMurRAHsgo
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 5, 2021
Ooh Baddoo, Your Mama Too, And Your Daddy?
The title reference comes from possibly one of the most annoying songs of all time, the much-maligned and rarely listened-to 2000 single from Daphne & Celeste, Ooh Stick You!, but it is more than appropriate after Detroit Tigers‘ Rule 5 pick Akil Baddoo blasted a home run off the first pitch of his first-ever at-bat in Major League Baseball.
SOLO SHOT, Akil Baddoo!
372 Feet. 💪 #DetroitRoots pic.twitter.com/APfrfOiabL
— Bally Sports Detroit (@BallySportsDET) April 4, 2021
His parents enjoyed it thoroughly, of course.
Akil Badoo's parents reaction to his first MLB HR (in his first MLB PA)
How can you not be romantic about baseball. pic.twitter.com/mQY9ZI1X0d
— Alex Fast (@AlexFast8) April 4, 2021
Baddoo made history in a positive light, something the Tigers haven’t had too much luck with recently.
.@AkilBaddoo is the first player to hit a HR on the 1st pitch of his first career AB since Willson Contreras (6/19/16). pic.twitter.com/WB1Divt7YT
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) April 4, 2021
Have A Day Cedric Mullins!
There are many reasons to smile if you are a Baltimore Orioles fan right now as they sit atop the AL East after sweeping the opening 3-game series against rivals the Boston Red Sox. One Oriole, in particular, enjoyed his Sunday at Fenway Park – unheralded outfielder Cedric Mullins went 5-for-5 with 3 doubles in the 11-3 blowout victory.
Just hits, no misses. pic.twitter.com/nIzDShOhJT
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) April 4, 2021
Mullins will be pleased in making a bit of history for himself. He has noticeably struggled at the plate so far in his brief career but the speedy center fielder is locked in as the Orioles’ leadoff hitter and could be a sneakily reliable source of runs and stolen bags in fantasy this year.
Cedric Mullins did it! First Oriole CF with a leadoff 5-hit game since Al Bumbry in 1979. https://t.co/stfnFD2IyH
— High Heat Stats (@HighHeatStats) April 4, 2021
The Dead Presidents
The Washington Nationals have a tradition called the Presidents Race. It is a promotional event that happens in the middle of the fourth inning of every game. This event may have gotten a little out of hand. We are waiting to hear if any potential assault charges have been filed. That is one evil Easter Bunny!
Hope your Easter is a little less chaotic than this video.
— Cut4 (@Cut4) April 4, 2021
Position Player Pitching Alert!
And there we have it, the first occasion of a position player pitching happened in the Astros’ 9-2 win over the Athletics yesterday. The A’s have had a miserable 0-4 start to the season, with the Astros outscoring them 35-9 over the last 4 days. Why not see if a position player can do better?!
You know it. You love it. Folks, we have our very first
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/of the 2021 season! pic.twitter.com/FNkvkaVwvn
— Cut4 (@Cut4) April 4, 2021
To be fair on Rule 5 pick Ka’ai Tom, he even caught the eye of Pitching Ninja, Rob Friedman for his “nice” 69 mph…er, pitch.
Ka'ai Tom, Nice 69mph Pitch. 👍♋️ pic.twitter.com/0fI4PxIRQY
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) April 4, 2021
Monday Motivation!
Sunday Night Baseball had it all. Start your week in the right mood with this recap of last night’s Angels and White Sox classic. Another week of baseball starts today, people!
The first Sunday Night Baseball game of the season had it ALL. pic.twitter.com/qeuxONXq45
— MLB (@MLB) April 5, 2021
Photo by Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Justin Paradis (@JustParaDesigns on Twitter)