Home Run of the Day: Gustavo Chacin, Houston Astros (Trot Time: 27.28 seconds) [video]
So, a “journeyman” starting pitcher who made 58 starts for the Blue Jays between 2004 and 2007 and who hadn’t appeared in a major league game at all in 2008 or 2009, and who is most notable for a weird feud he has with everybody’s favorite ballhawk Zack Hample, hits a home run in only his 8th major league plate appearance (and first since 2005) while appearing in relief for Roy Oswalt who was thrown out earlier in the game by an overly aggressive plate umpire? Yeah, that’s going to be the Home Run of the Day.
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Slowest Trot: Gustavo Chacin, Houston Astros – 27.28 seconds [video]
I mean, seriously, was there even a chance of there being a more memorable home run than that yesterday? The best thing about the home run is watching him run. The way the helmet bounces on his head as he makes his trot, and how he has to hold it down – it’s great. It makes hitting the home run feel that much more remarkable. And he was slow, no doubt about it. But it wasn’t for lack of trying.
Quickest Trot: Cameron Maybin, Florida Marlins – 14.75 seconds [video]
Yet another inside-the-park home run hit this year, this one was clearly due to a poor defensive play coupled with a weird stadium quirk, with Carlos Gomez tryin desperately to catch it on a diagonal only to have it roll behind him and bounce away off the weird centerfield triangle in Sun Life Stadium (is that what it’s called today?). Still, even with the misplay in center and Maybin flying around the bases – you have to love how hard he ran the bases from contact – I think a good relay throw gets him. In the replay, the ball seems to have beat him to the plate, but it’s about 15 feet away and 10 feet past the plate. A perfect strike would’ve nailed him.
