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Misc Notes: Kotchman with Heads Up Play

Christopher Solberg, Editor
4/16/2008

While watching some Wednesday night baseball, I picked up a nice heads-up defensive play by Casey Kotchman of the L.A. Angels.  In the top of the 5th inning, with one out and the Kansas City Royals’ Mark Grudzielanek on first base, budding star Billy Butler was at bat.  Butler popped a fly ball up the first base line that looked like it was fading into foul territory, where first baseman Casey Kotchmand would surely catch it for an out.  However, Kotchman seemingly dropped the ball, picked it up, tagged first base and caught Grudzy in a run down for the third out of the inning.

But Kotchman didn’t drop the ball.  The entire time the ball was in the air, Kotchman was watching it and Billy Butler at the same time.  Noticing Butler throw his fit and not run out the hit, Kotchman deliberately didn’t catch the ball (as the replay showed) to induce the double play. 

This good heads-up play was made better by the fact that Kotchman not only had the presence of mind to let the ball drop to get the double play, he placed his body between it and the foul line.  This move made him into somewhat of a goalie, blocking the ball from rolling foul, keeping it in play.

Kotchman also made a nice catch on a hard liner off of Alex Gordon’s bat in the 6th inning.  He’s shaping up to be a pretty good defensive first baseman, and by the looks of it his bat isn’t going to be too shabby either.

 

 

 

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