Mike Napoli’s teammates won’t let him live down embarrassing slide
Cleveland Indians slugger Mike Napoli is not the fastest guy around, nor is he the most graceful. But he can sure hit the baseball.
He proved that to Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale on Tuesday when he split the outfielders for a two-run triple. The triple was Napoli’s first since April 15 of last season, and it couldn’t have come at a better time as it helped Cleveland knock Sale from the ranks of the undefeated with a 6-2 victory.
[Elsewhere: Joc Pederson got dissed by Barry Bonds after simple request]
Unfortunately for Napoli, the triple also highlighted those two previously mentioned facts: He’s not fast, and he’s not graceful. That led to one of the most awkward and embarrassing slides we’ve seen in a long time as he arrived to third base only somewhat safely.
Yeah, that’s a faceplant of epic proportions. Fortunately, Napoli did not suffer any injuries other than those to his pride. Once that became clear though, you had to know his teammates wouldn’t let him live it down, or let the fans soon forget the sight of Napoli eating dirt.
Hanging the photographic evidence on the dugout wall might seem a little harsh, but at least they spared him the obligatory chalk outline.
[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Baseball contest now]
To his credit, Napoli has been a good sport too, even donning a neck brace for a photo after the game.
Then again, there’s nothing Napoli can really do other than laugh at himself and rub a little dirt on it.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
– – – – – – –
Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813
