Philadelphia Phillies’ Odubel Herrera: From flake to enigma

An at-bat on Sunday showed exactly why you can never take your eyes off the enigmatic Phillies centerfielder

It was almost halfway through the second game of the Philadelphia Phillies – San Diego Padres split doubleheader July 22. It had been a long day by the fourth inning of that second game as the Phillies’ Odubel Herrera sort of stood in against Padres right-hander Luis Perdomo.

Philadelphia had dropped the first game earlier in the day, 10-2, and they hadn’t scored yet in the second contest. Rain was threatening; Herrera was fidgeting. Eventually he settled into the left-handed batter’s box, and perhaps Perdomo felt he took a little too long.

The first pitch was up and in – not really at Herrera’s head, but potentially dangerous if he had guessed a low and outside pitch was coming and leaned into it. The pitch didn’t hit him.

The second pitch Herrera figuratively spat on, looking for all the world as though he couldn’t be bothered to even consider swinging a piece of wood at a spinning sphere. For the next four pitches, NBC Philly’s broadcasting crew – Tom McCarthy, John Kruk, and Mike Schmidt – did their level best not to say Herrera seemed to be giving away an at bat. Philly’s center fielder looked at a strike, another ball, a second strike, and finally on the sixth pitch ticked a foul.

The seventh pitch appeared to be an impressive slider low and over the inside of the plate; it dove even lower as it reached the batter. Herrera went down and got it. The swing looked almost casual. The ball rocketed toward a seat halfway up the first deck beyond right field – a 385-foot home run. Philly took a 1-0 lead.

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Hall of Fame slugger Schmidt and Kruk, a lifetime .300 hitter, were mystified. In fact, their immediate banter went as follows:

Kruk: “You’re a Hall of Famer. Explain that at bat to the people at home.”

Schmidt: “I can’t explain it.”

Kruk: “’Atta boy.”

For this observer, this was the at bat that moved Odubel Herrera from flake classification into the enigma category. Yes, Herrera will likely misjudge some more fly balls, and he’ll probably end up at the wrong base at least once again in his career, but from here on out MLB fans have been forewarned.

Next: Old Phillies nemesis returns

So, Phillies fans, when it comes to Odubel Herrera never nap because, even though he may look as though he’s about to fall asleep himself, at any moment he might do something you’ve rarely, if ever, seen before.