Who’s on first? Gerrit Cole’s errant pick-off throw goes to no one
Even the best players in the game occasionally make embarrassing mistakes. Pittsburgh Pirates ace Gerrit Cole definitely qualifies as a superstar. Most days, the 25-year-old dominates his opponents. His 2.60 ERA and fourth place finish in the Cy Young voting last season should tell you as much.
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And yet, even Gerrit Cole can sometimes look foolish on the mound. Cole made a rare error during Thursday’s game against the Detroit Tigers.
In the fourth inning of the contest, outfielder Justin Upton reached first base on a fielder’s choice. Cole wanted to make sure Upton stayed close to the bag, and rifled over a pick-off throw in hopes of keeping the runner honest.
Problem was, there was nobody covering first base when Cole threw the ball over there. John Jaso, the Pirates’ first baseman, was moving into his normal defensive position just prior to the throw, and wasn’t holding Upton on first.
Upton advanced to third on the play, and eventually came around to score. The run padded the Tigers’ early lead, though it wasn’t the deciding factor in Detroit’s 7-4 victory.
It’s important to note that the Pirates were wearing their alternate camouflage jerseys during the contest. It’s possible Cole believed Jaso was actually covering first, but he couldn’t see him due to the effectiveness of the camouflage.
More likely, however, is that Cole possibly mistook Jaso for Upton. Out of the corner of his eye, he probably saw a figure quickly advancing in the direction of second base, and thought maybe Upton was getting too greedy with his lead. It’s also possible that he just had a total brain cramp.
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Either way, it’s pretty rare to see such a talented player make a silly mistake like this. The Tigers were wise to take advantage in this instance, because opposing teams don’t get too many openings when Cole is on the mound.
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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
