Home Run of the Day: Brooks Conrad, Atlanta Braves (Trot Time: 22.18 seconds) [video]
I sometimes get annoyed at all the walkoff home runs. It’s not that I don’t enjoy the excitement of the moment – it’s just that it oftentimes makes the Home Run of the Day a lazy decision for me, and I don’t necessarily think that’s a good thing.
But when the walkoff home run is Brooks Conrad‘s grand slam off of Francisco Cordero from yesterday afternoon – with one out in the ninth inning, trailing by three, and completing a seven-run inning – I don’t mind them. What was especially great about Conrad’s slam is that it was so nearly caught by Laynce Nix out in left field (the ball hit his glove and bounced out and over the fence) that, upon rounding first, Conrad brought his hands to his head in disappointment and turned back towards the dugout. It wasn’t until he heard the crowd screaming that he realize the ball had gone over the wall, and that’s when he sprinted for home. That’s a pretty great moment to watch.
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Slowest Trot: Vladimir Guerrero, Texas Rangers – 26.72 seconds [video]
Vlad certainly took his time getting out of the box on this monster blast into left field. He took so much time, in fact, that I thought the home run had some sort of significance – as if it were a late-inning go-ahead shot or something.You know, the kind of situation you expect a slugger to be extra satisfied with. Turns out it was a go-ahead shot, but in the second inning. I guess Vlad just liked the look of it.
Quickest Trot: Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds – 18.98 seconds [video]
I don’t have specific data in front of me, but I do know that, on average, grand slam trots are much slower than regular trots (roughly 24 seconds vs. 22 seconds). Whether this is because the bases are clogged or because the people that tend to hit grand slams tend to be bigger and slower (or just bigger showoffs), I don’t know. But it’s the truth. So seeing Joey Votto leg out a grannie in under-19 seconds and to see it as the quickest trot of the day surprises me to no end. But we all know what kind of trotter Votto is by now, so I guess we can’t be too surprised. Still, it’s pretty cool.
