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