Right fielder fools runner and announcers with fantastic fake-out

By Joe Setyon March 27, 2018 at 11:32am

In baseball, a well-executed play on defense can make an opposing baserunner look stupid.

Whether it’s the hidden ball trick or the fake-out throw, discipline, practice and a bit of luck can make for a fantastic highlight.

Baseball fans were treated to such a highlight on Monday thanks to a heads-up play from Daniel Palka, a right fielder in the Chicago White Sox system.

In the top of the seventh inning of a game between the White Sox and their Triple-A affiliate, the Charlotte Knights, Palka was able to successfully deke out the runner on first base.

The batter at the plate got jammed on a 1-1 pitch, and hit the ball out to right field.

Palka didn’t have a play on the ball, but he made it look as though he was going to catch it for the out.

His fake-out fooled Trey Michalczewski, who was on first base at the time.

Michalczewski returned to first, but Palka played the ball on a hop, then threw to second for the force out.

The play, which can be seen here, was so effective that it faked out the White Sox TV crew as well.

.@Danielbpalka deked a baserunner so effectively it fooled the @whitesox' TV crew: https://t.co/snaOLzFLSA pic.twitter.com/e7YFfD6j4M

— Cut4 (@Cut4) March 27, 2018

“He deked me, too,” one of the announcers said. “I tell you what, I thought that ball was going to be caught.”

Is this the best deke you've ever seen?

Of course, baseball’s best and brightest have been making plays like this for years.

In fact, you can check some of them out below:

Palka, a 2013 third-round draft pick by the Arizona Diamonbacks, is currently on Chicago’s 40-man roster, though not the active roster.

The 26-year-old, who played in the Twins system last season, has yet to make his major league debut. He’s a career .267 hitter with 113 home runs across all levels of play.

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Chicago White Sox, MLB

Joe Setyon

Deputy Managing Editor, Editorial

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Joe Setyon was a deputy managing editor for The Western Journal who had spent his entire professional career in editing and reporting. He previously worked in Washington, D.C., as an assistant editor/reporter for Reason magazine.

@JoeSetyon

Joe Setyon was deputy managing editor for The Western Journal with several years of copy editing and reporting experience. He graduated with a degree in communication studies from Grove City College, where he served as managing editor of the student-run newspaper. Joe previously worked as an assistant editor/reporter for Reason magazine, a libertarian publication in Washington, D.C., where he covered politics and wrote about government waste and abuse.

Birthplace

Brooklyn, New York

Topics of Expertise

Sports, Politics