KANSAS CITY — Some people are born with unlucky timing. Others seem destined to play co-star in someone else’s highlight reel. And then there’s Vinnie Pasquantino, who—through absolutely no fault of his own—has become a recurring character in the Shohei Ohtani Cinematic Universe.
On Saturday, the Royals first baseman grounded into an inning-ending double play on a 101.7 mph fastball from Ohtani, a pitch so absurdly fast that ESPN’s Jeff Passan felt compelled to tweet about it:
“This season, there have been 163 pitches thrown harder than 101.7 mph, which was the exact velocity on Ohtani’s fastball here. That is the hardest pitch of his MLB career. Ohtani did hit 102 mph in the World Baseball Classic — funny enough against Vinnie Pasquantino as well.” — Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan)
And Pasquantino’s response?
That’s it. That’s the tweet. And honestly? Mood.
Imagine being on the wrong end of both the hardest pitch Ohtani has thrown in Major League Baseball and the hardest pitch he’s ever thrown, period. One in spring’s most hyped global tournament, and the other in a sleepy June game in Kansas City. Different settings, same fate: Shohei uncorks something bordering on mythological, and poor Vinnie is left wondering what sort of cursed simulation he’s stuck in.
To be fair, Pasquantino did take his revenge later with a three-run bomb off Ben Casparius, so he didn’t exactly go quietly into the Missouri night. But still—how many hitters can say they’ve been part of two historic Shohei heat checks?
Ohtani, of course, played it cool. Just another day at the office. And Dodgers fans? We’ll take it. We’ll take the 101.7 mph darts, the whispered stats, the hitters tweeting “WTF” in disbelief. We’ll even take the Pasquantino power payback if it means we get to watch Shohei throw flames on a Saturday afternoon in Kauffman.
Baseball’s best showman is back on the mound—and Vinnie Pasquantino, whether he likes it or not, is once again holding the spotlight with him.
WTF, indeed. And, for Dodger fans, we might add an “LOL” while we’re at it.
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