Tyler Naquin's walk-off inside-the-park homer was unique and fun
The play of the night on Friday and perhaps the play of the season in baseball took place in Cleveland when rookie Tyler Naquin delivered a walk-off for the ages.
After Jose Ramirez tied their game against Toronto with a conventional home run in the ninth inning, Naquin immediately followed with an unconventional home run that had to be seen to be believed.
Naquin’s long drive to right field bounced high off the wall, eluding Michael Saunders as he valiantly attempted to rob extra bases. By the time center fielder Melvin Upton retrieved the baseball, Naquin was nearing third base. Then Upton fell down attempting to get the ball back to the infield, allowing Naquin to dive home with the winning run.
The exciting sprint sent Progressive Field into a frenzy, and further research has confirmed that it also put Naquin in elite company.
More on Tyler Naquin's heroics, via @EliasSports pic.twitter.com/8l0WfGFP00
— Jordan Bastian (@MLBastian) August 20, 2016
Angel Pagan’s walk-off inside-the-parker from 2013 was fresh in our minds as we watched Naquin do his thing. However, it’s fascinating to learn that Hall of Famers like Roberto Clemente, Reggie Jackson and Ken Griffey Jr. enjoyed similar thrills during their careers.
It’s also the second time the Indians have won a game in their history with a walk-off inside-the-park home run. According to Elias Sports, the first was hit by Bragger Roth exactly 100 years ago in 1916.
Naquin’s mad dash isn’t just conjuring up history though. It’s also drawing comparisons to one current sports phenom: Usain Bolt.
Whoever did this Tyler Naquin – Usain Bolt pic is the real gold medalist. #Windians #RollTribe @Indians @TyNaquin pic.twitter.com/NwYOwGlKwr
— TMK (@ManAmongGods) August 20, 2016
We don’t like Naquin’s chances in a foot race, but he definitely holds his own as a showman.
Naquin, on the pose: "Always. Just rockin' out. That was a pretty cool moment, so I'm gonna get into it." pic.twitter.com/WXYtJlflKf
— Zack Meisel (@ZackMeisel) August 20, 2016
When Bryce Harper talked about bringing fun back into baseball, moments like this are probably what he had in mind. Naquin milked it, no doubt, but he also earned it while giving us something to talk about.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
