Unwarranted Analysis of an Inconsequential YouTube Video

This video's been making the rounds lately, so it seems warranted to take a closer look.

Fernando Perez, an outfielder with the Durham Bulls, the one time basis of Kevin Costner's best baseball movie, and now the AAA affiliate of the first place Tampa Rays, is the dude seen here who runs past the catcher, plays it cool, pretending that he already has touched the dish, the touching of which awards a run to your team. The overly excited minor league announcer declares that Perez faked out the catcher, but I'm not buying it. The catcher doesn't look fooled; he still goes after the runner. Perez just looks faster than the catcher. It's a nice football move, but fooling it ain't. Still, props to the dude for making baseball a little more athletic.

YouTube is a surprisingly fertile ground for instances of catcher outmaneuvering. Check out this 3rd Baseman of my almost hometown Montclair State baseball club.



There's still hope, of course, for those baseballers not blessed with, y'know, running or jumping abilities, by utilizing a method best exemplified by Pete Rose, here seen running over Ray Fosse, a move which sent the catcher to the hospital. Oh yeah, he did this in the All-Star Game. An exhibition.













Oh, that Pete Rose. Always sliding into Aunt Lindsay's second base.