Craig Kimbrel’s pitching stance is still getting mocked — this time by Little Leaguers
"This is like being at the free throw line and having a bunch of people mocking you."
Craig Kimbrel returned to the mound Sunday for the Chicago Cubs, after missing two weeks due to knee inflammation.
It didn’t go great.
Kimbrel immediately gave up a home run, hit a batter, and was relentlessly mocked by more than a dozen Little Leaguers.
The former Red Sox closer’s distinct pre-pitch pose has often been playfully pantomimed by fans behind home plate, including during last year’s MLB playoffs. The only difference Sunday night was that the mimicry came courtesy of teams of middle schoolers from New Jersey and Louisiana at the annual Little League Classic in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
“This is like being at the free throw line and having a bunch of people mocking you,” Alex Rodriguez, one of the several bemused ESPN broadcasters, said.
Kimbrel, who came in with a 7-0 lead in the bottom of the ninth, struck out two of the four Pittsburgh Pirates batters he faced before he was pulled by Cubs manager Joe Maddon. According to MLB.com, despite his rusty performance, Kimbrel did throw 12 of 15 pitches for strikes, which seems more impressive given the distractions he also had to overcome.
https://twitter.com/MLBastian/status/1163276286174928896?s=20
The 31-year-old pitcher, who joined the Cubs as a free agent in June after going unsigned all offseason, has previously explained that his unusual pitching stance originated in 2010 when biceps tendinitis made it painful for him to put his arm behind his back.
“I guess it looks funny to people, but it’s normal for me,” he told The Boston Globe in 2016.
