A's Catcher Literally Tears The Cover Off A Ball Against The Orioles

Oakland A’s catcher Shea Langeliers tore the cover off a baseball yesterday, in the most literal sense possible.

When you hear that phrase, you might think that he sent a fastball 450 feet into the stands. But that’s not what happened, since the A’s didn’t get on the board in a 7-0 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.

During one of his at-bats, he barely made contact with a pitch and fouled it off. After his swing, cameras noticed that Langeliers actually ripped open the cover of the ball.

He caught just the right spot on the seams with his Louisville Slugger, despite the ball only coming off the bat at 14 mph.

Take a look.

I must say, that’s kind of impressive. Sure, it’s an inconsequential foul ball. But seriously, when was that last time you saw the cover of a ball literally busted open as a pitch?

If you’re a baseball fan, you’ll probably say that you remember when Roy Hobbs did for the New York Knights, just two pitches after his coach told him to do it.

Unfortunately for Langeliers, the dismembered cover was the only similarity between his day and Hobbs’. The A’s catcher went 0-4 in his team’s loss.

But then again, not all of us can be Roy Hobbs.