A Ninja With A Glove: Amarista Makes Another Amazing Play

I am in the same position as my fellow writer Mark Whelan. With Chris “Deno” Denorfia no longer a Padre, I am faced with choosing a new favorite player. One player that is a heavy favorite is ultra-utility player Alexi Amarista. He has been fun to watch ever since he arrived from the Angels via the Ernesto Frieri trade.

At 5’7’’, Amarista does not have the typical athletic body type, and I think that is why I am drawn to him. Though lacking in size, he does not lack in fielding ability.

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With the game tied 4-4 in the bottom of the 9th, Amarista pulled another one of his ninja fielding plays. The Twins had runners on first and second. With two out and Kevin Quackenbush on the mound, Eduard Escobar stepped into the batters box.

The outfielders were playing in a shallow position to prevent a run on a short single, and after a few pitches—the count stood at 0-2—Quackenbush fired the next pitch to the plate. A loud crack off of Escobar’s bat sent the ball to deep centerfield. Within a few steps, Amarista was in a full sprint towards right-centerfield. Doing his best Willie Mays impression, Amarista closed in and he caught it over his left shoulder.

An amazing catch by an amazing fielder; Amarista is making a great case to be my new favorite Padre. Although we might not be heading to the playoffs this season, there is still plenty of great baseball to watch every night the Friars take the diamond.

Keep the Faith.