Let's get to the trots!
Home Run of the Day: Angel Pagan, San Francisco Giants – 14.73 seconds [video]
There may be no more unpredictable feat in baseball than the inside-the-park home run. In 2012, for example, there were already four inside-the-park home runs hit around the league by May 19. Meanwhile, here in 2013, we had to wait until May 25 for even our first one. But, boy, was it a doozy!
For the first time since 2004, a game ended on a walkoff-inside-the-park home run when this Angel Pagan drive to right-center field hit off the brick wall at AT&T Park and rattled around just enough for Pagan to book it on home. And, to top it off, the game-winner came in extra innings.
Pagan also had an inside-the-park home run while playing for the Mets in 2010. That trot, at 14.48 seconds, was the single-fastest trot recorded by the Tater Trot Tracker in its first year (and it still good enough for top ten fastest of all-time). Saturday's trot was a tick slower than the 2010 trot, but it was still top notch. Considering that the ball got to the catcher at about the same time that Pagan began his slide into the plate, there's a good chance that any slower trot would have ended up as an out at the plate. That's using your speed to your full advantage!
Slowest Trot: Pedro Alvarez #2, Pittsburgh Pirates – 24.4 seconds [video]
A pair of games with a pair of players hitting a pair of home runs. Alvarez joined Carlos Gomez in the Pittsburgh/Milwaukee tilt with two home runs each while, in the Houston/Oakland game, two Astros players (Jason Castro and Matt Dominguez) did the same.
Out in Detroit, Joe Mauer lined a home run out of Comerica Park but briefly stopped at second base when the ball bounced back onto the field. He continued his trot, but the time cannot be counted.
Quickest Trot: Angel Pagan, San Francisco Giants – 14.73 seconds [video]
A great day for quick trots. Pagan had the amazing inside-the-park home run, but he wasn't the only one. In Chicago, Miami's Derek Dietrich hit his second home run in two days and raced home in only 16.54 seconds. Meanwhile, Carlos Gomez ran out his two home runs in 17.76 seconds and 18.2 seconds.
All of Today's Trots Pedro Alvarez #2...24.4 Carlos Gonzalez....21.43 Josh Donaldson.....23.83 Danny Valencia.....21.36 Erik Kratz.........23.78 Matt Dominguez #1..21.18 Nelson Cruz........23.14 Everth Cabrera.....21.1 Adrian Gonzalez....23.01 Brandon Moss.......20.94 Jhonny Peralta.....22.93 Jason Castro #2....20.86 Adam Jones.........22.8 Andrew McCutchen...20.7 Domonic Brown......22.8 Hank Conger........20.6 Pedro Alvarez #1...22.5 Josh Hamilton......20.04 Mike Minor.........22.4 Jason Castro #1....19.86 Adam LaRoche.......22.26 Emilio Bonifacio...19.51 Matt Dominguez #2..22.09 Carlos Gomez #2....18.2 Eric Chavez........22.01 Carlos Gomez #1....17.76 Lyle Overbay.......21.86 Derek Dietrich.....16.54 Troy Tulowitzki....21.75 Angel Pagan........14.73 Neil Walker........21.61 Joe Mauer..........N/A Friday's Trots Lance Berkman.....26.32 Dan Uggla.........21.61 Brandon Phillips..25.62 Seth Smith........21.51 Danny Valencia....25.05 Allen Craig.......20.97 Chris Davis.......24.36 Carlos Gonzalez...20.79 Scott Feldman.....24.26 Chris Iannetta....20.64 Ryan Hanigan......24.18 Mike Carp.........20.55 Adam Jones........23.25 Michael Cuddyer...20.37 David Freese......23.08 Adam Lind.........20.19 Freddie Freeman...22.79 Miguel Tejada.....19.93* Chris Young.......22.51 Brett Gardner.....19.91 J.D. Martinez.....22.36 Everth Cabrera....19.64 Joey Votto........21.94 Jeff Baker........19.54 Melky Cabrera.....21.93 Brett Lawrie......19.26 Matt Dominguez....21.68 Don Kelly.........N/A J.J. Hardy........21.62 John Buck.........N/A Derek Dietrich....21.61
Click here for the ongoing 2013 Tater Trot Tracker Leaderboard. You can also follow @TaterTrotTrkr on Twitter for more up-to-the-minute trot times.
