Ouch! Ben Revere strikes out in the most embarrassing way possible
“It’s spring training for ____” is a popular cliché around this time of year. If a journalist sends out a tweet with a typo in it, “it’s spring training for journalists.” If there’s an embarrassing mishap with the grounds crew, “it’s spring training for the grounds crew.”
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The phrase is meant to convey that people are still getting adjusted. Mistakes may occur, but it’s OK. This is the time for that to happen.
It’s also spring training for baseball players. Perhaps no one understands that more than Washington Nationals outfielder Ben Revere. During Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Revere struck out in the most embarrassing way possible.
In the fourth inning, Revere stood in against pitcher Marco Gonzales. Gonzales had worked the count to a favorable 1-2, and was looking to send Revere back to the bench. He unleashed his pitch, a high, inside fastball.
The pitch may have been a little too inside, though. Revere perhaps trying to protect himself, offered up a swing. Instead of making contact with the ball, the ball made contact with him. Revere whiffed on the pitch, but was hit on the shoulder. He was ruled out on strikes.
Revere walked back to the dugout with more than a bruised shoulder, he likely also bruised his ego.
The whole thing is made even more ridiculous when you realize Revere rarely whiffs. He struck out in just 10.1 percent of his plate appearances last year, which ranked as the seventh lowest strikeout rate among qualified hitters. On top of that, this was Revere’s first strikeout of the spring.
[Elsewhere: Donald Trump gets the all-important Pete Rose endorsement]
We’re not even mad, we’re actually kind of impressed. And, hey, it’s spring training for Ben Revere, so he’s allowed to make silly mistakes, right?
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
