Jul

30

Summer Catch: Addison Johnson’s Diving Stab

Posted by Greg | Filed Under Games, News | 9 Comments

Johnson is known around Clemson for great outfield catches.

Johnson is known around Clemson for great outfield catches.

If anyone has videotape of Addison Johnson’s dramatic centerfield catch last night for the Chatham Anglers you should send it immediately to ESPN. It is a guaranteed top web gem.

Unfortunately, the only evidence of his spectacular, full-speed leap near the 357-foot mark in Chatham’s centerfield is a deep set of skid marks – gashes really — in the warning track dirt and a simple L-8 in the scorebook to deny Brewster’s Zach Jones of a much needed extra bases hit.

“It was to tough to see because the fog is a big deal here in Chatham,” Addison told CodBall after the game.  “I knew he hit it pretty good and it was going to be close to the fence so when I started getting close I decided to dive and try to make the catch. I got a pretty good jump and I snowconed it.”

The Anglers  (36 pts.) and the White Caps (34 pts.) are battling for a spot in the East playoffs. Although Chatham beat Brewster 10-1, it was Angler defense tonight that served notice this team is in it to win it.

With one out in the 5th inning, just after Johnson had made a routine catch in centerfield, Jones came to the plate hoping to spark an anemic White Caps offense to life. I was standing near the leftfield foul pole making my way back to our spot in centerfield. I heard the crack of the bat and heard players yell, “Deep!”

Johnson cut to his left quickly and sprinted full-speed to deepest center. The ball was so deep I was certain he could not reach the ball. His number 45 was showing as his sprint suddenly turned into a vertical leap at the warning track. He is left handed and so his right glove-hand had to make a back-handed stab to snag the ball. Jones was a right handed batter. According to friends in centerfield the ball was slicing away.

Chatham fans are normally appreciative of good defense but the large crowd exploded with surprise and then appreciation that carried over to greet Johnson when he returned to the dugout later in the inning.

Johnson’s catch overshadowed an amazing play by Chatham’s third-baseman, Matt Duffy (Tennessee), on the very next batter, Brewster’s Niko Gallego. Perry answered Johnson’s diving catch with one of his own as Gallego’s ball was blasted and sliced down the third base line. Perry had to dive to right for a back-handed vertical grab to rob Gallego of a double down the line.

Harwich Mariners 8, Y-D Red Sox 4

Not fighting for a playoff berth are the Y-D Red Sox, who I saw play at home yesterday against the Harwich Mariners. Good thing they’ve got things wrapped-up in Y-D because they did not look good in the early innings yesterday, losing 8-4. Red Sox pitcher John Leonard (Boston College) had a tough outing.

Harwich’s Connor Powers’ 3rd inning homerun off Leonard was an absolute shot to centerfield. The ball hit the tops of trees to drive in two runs. Teammates Stuart Tapley and Leon Landry proceed then to hit doubles to left and right respectively to drive in what became a 6 -run inning. Leonard was replaced in the 3rd by Scott Little.

No games today since this is player appreciation day at Fenway. Maybe there are games in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) today?

Comments

9 Responses to “Summer Catch: Addison Johnson’s Diving Stab”

  1. Switch on July 30th, 2009 9:59 am

    It was Duffy at third base for Chatham although Perry at 2nd base made a great diving catch as well. Dean Green also made a nifty stab to make it 4 total web gems on the night.

  2. Greg on July 30th, 2009 11:14 am

    Thanks for the clarification. It was brilliant defense.

  3. Jim Ed on July 30th, 2009 12:53 pm

    On another note, has anyone seen the ranking of the CCBL fields on pappasproductions.com?
    I think the rankings will surprise some people!

  4. willie on July 30th, 2009 7:06 pm

    Add that great catch to Ben Klafczynski’s leap robbing Fletcher of a bomb.

    With the recent news of more players on PED’s, now Ortiz included, what do you think the main reason is for the usage of these drugs as compared to the old timers who used booze, caffeine, speed, and of course, lots of hot dogs?

    $$$$$$$$$$$

    College kids get randomly drug tested. Some play 60 games and 50 more in the summer. Over 100 games, most stay the course, many play injured and refuse to reveal their bumps and bruises in fear of them getting on their scouting profile.

    Superstars aside, how many talented kids are/were being held back because the guys in front of them were sustaining their drive with PED’s?

    How the heck does a Brady Anderson hit 51 bombs? Wrist curls?

  5. Brian Foley on July 31st, 2009 3:15 am

    You do know that players in the 70’s and 80’s were using amphetamines (sp) right?

  6. Dave on July 31st, 2009 7:59 am

    Welcome to CodBall – “The Unofficial Blog of the Ben Klafczynski Fan Club.”

    We can’t even reference a play made by someone else without a comparison to Klafczynski?? He was 0 for 5 with 3 strikeouts on Wednesday but somehow that will further strengthen certain peoples’ convictions that the Braves wouldn’t have beaten Cotuit 13-1 if he weren’t in the lineup that night.

  7. Jim Ed on July 31st, 2009 9:15 am

    willie and ben sitting in a tree…….:-)

  8. Greg on July 31st, 2009 11:38 am

    I love hearing about the defense plays around the league. I get tired of reporting on the shutout pitching and long home runs — all important elements. But it’s great to report on an outfielder who saves or wins games with great plays. In the no-steroid, lower bonus years ahead those defensive plays will pay dividends for teams hoping to compete.

  9. Brian Foley on July 31st, 2009 2:21 pm

    HGH is still widely available in MLB and the next drug down the line will be too. It is a vicious cycle.

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