MLBVideo

Don’t Even Think About Scoring From Third When Rick Ankiel Is In Center Field

by Eric Goldschein | 11:13 pm, April 16th, 2012

Nationals center fielder Rick Ankiel has an absolute cannon for an arm. If you want proof, just ask Jordan Schafer, who normally would have tagged up and scored from third on this routine fly ball. Instead, like all of us, Schafer was frozen with awe.

As a former pitcher, it’s no surprise Ankiel has a killer arm. But he’s not hitting the plate from the pitcher’s mound (a distance of about 60 feet). He’s hitting the plate from about 300 feet, on the run.

Rarely do you see a runner at third not even attempt to tag up on a fly ball, if it’s deep enough. For almost every other outfielder, the throw home is more of a going-through-the-motions kind of thing, with the ball rarely getting past an infielder. Not here, though — Schafer knows what’s up when Ankiel is prowling the outfield grass.

He must have seen this footage before the game (from @dfreese23):

http://twitter.com/WallOfIvy Rob Longhini

I’m not sure what’s more impressive: the throw or the mean mug Ankiel has after the fact.
http://twitter.com/1kabmn kevin

300 ft., ummm not even close.
http://profile.yahoo.com/2DOXPE47YQFHRLRMKQAOGFGWNM Aven

Oh, Great article！ Love will make your life better,
my BF and I both think so! He is a tall handsome man. we met via~~- – T’a'l’l'c’h'a’t
._C`○`Μ.~— ~~a nice place for women and
tall men.or tall women and men.Ever feel that you would best enjoy someone who
is not your tall group? IF you are really interested in it, Maybe you wanna
check it out or tell your friends.
http://twitter.com/chrismarciano Chris

He also wasn’t hitting the plate from the pitcher’s mound, that’s why he’s in the outfield.
Anonymous

He makes better throws to home plate from the outfield than he did from the pitchers mound. What a weapon to have.
Dirty Airy

Anybody notice the announcer say, “Are you shitting me?”