Craig Kimbrel/Atlanta Braves

Craig Kimbrel is a fantastic pitcher for the Atlanta Braves.  He is a closer, which means he is a relief pitcher who specializes in getting the final outs in a close ballgame when his team is leading.  It is very exciting to see a pitcher come on in the 9th inning and you are just holding your breath, hoping that he will be able to hold on to the lead so that your team can win.  When Craig Kimbrel comes on, you don't have to wait too long, he almost always gets them out! After winning last night's game, he has 35 saves for the year, the most in the National League!

 

Craig Kimbrel has a very unique way of holding his body when he pitches...he almost bends completely over and then pitches with a very strong arm and his pitches sometimes are thrown at 100 miles an hour!  There is a good story behind his strange pitch and you just know I am going to tell you about it...

 

At the age of 18, as he waiting to attend college in the fall, Craig Kimbrel was working with his father, an electrician, putting in some wiring on a house.  Another worker, accidentally pulled over some heavy sheet rock onto Craig and the sheet rock smashed his left foot quite badly, breaking several bones.  Craig went on to college but was unable to pitch with his injury.  However, he decided to practice long tossing the baseball ON HIS KNEES. It didn't take long until he could throw a ball the length of a football field!   

I love stories where someone has turned a negative into a positive, don't you?  Here is what Craig Kimbrel himself had to say about it..." It's kind of weird to say that breaking your foot is the best thing that could happen to you but it seems like it ended up that way. It helped me understand how I move my upper body . Once I started using my lower body, it all came together."

 

There, isn't that a nice story and NOW you know why he has that very strange way of holding his body as he pitches!  I found a video for you which I enjoyed so very much I just had to share this with you.  Even if you don't know one thing about baseball, you should enjoy it.  And if you know all these pitchers that he is imitating, then you should love it, just like I do! 

The Atlanta Braves! They have now won 12 games in a row and they are way ahead of anyone else in their division!  (The score for tonight's game is tied at 2-2, so I can't be long typing this post, I must watch the game and call my Dad to discuss it!)  They have been great fun to watch and there are other players that I must tell you about, but that will have to wait until another post! 

 

 Go Braves!

UPDATE: The Braves won! The final was 6-3 over the Washington Nationals, and they have now won 13 in a row!  Kimbrel was the closer but it took him longer to get those 3 outs than usual, so he DID make me hold my breath!