2019 England World Cup winner Liam Plunkett makes professional baseball debut
· Yahoo Sports
Former England World Cup-winning fast bowler Liam Plunkett added another remarkable chapter to his sporting career by making his professional baseball debut for the Oakland Ballers against the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds in the Pioneer Baseball League. The 41-year-old, who moved to the United States five years ago, enjoyed a dream start to his cross-sport venture by striking out a batter in his very first appearance from the pitcher's mound, becoming one of the few professional cricketers to feature in professional baseball.
Dream debut despite defeat
Plunkett was handed the responsibility of opening the pitching for the Ballers at Raimondi Park, where a crowd of 1,878 watched his historic debut. Although Oakland eventually went down 18-11, the former England pacer grabbed the spotlight with an impressive opening spell. Facing one of the league's leading hitters, Josh Duarte, Plunkett needed just five pitches to register his first professional baseball strikeout, marking an unforgettable start to his new sporting journey.
Following the match, Plunkett admitted his pitching action is unlike that of a conventional baseball pitcher. Describing it as "a bit unusual," the former fast bowler said he combines elements of his cricket bowling action with a traditional baseball delivery, allowing him to adapt more naturally to the sport.
Plunkett signed a one-day professional contract with the Oakland Ballers under the Pioneer Baseball League's 'marketing player exception' rule. The regulation allows clubs to temporarily sign high-profile athletes or sporting personalities outside normal roster restrictions to promote the league and attract fans. Initially, Plunkett considered trying his hand as a batter after spending time in the batting cages. However, he quickly realised that facing 90 mph baseball pitches required a completely different technique from cricket, prompting him to focus on pitching instead.
Despite his successful baseball debut, Plunkett has no plans to leave cricket behind.
The 2019 ODI World Cup winner continues to play in the United States and remains part of the San Francisco Unicorns squad in Major League Cricket (MLC).
Reflecting on his achievement, Plunkett told BBC Sport:
"I've previously done the ceremonial first pitch for the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins as part of being an MLC ambassador, but this is obviously a little bit more serious" Plunkett said.
"I think I'm the first English cricketer to ever play a professional game of baseball. It's obviously a few rungs below Major League Baseball, but it's still pretty cool to say I have played as a professional in two bat-and-ball sports" he added.
Dream debut despite defeat
Plunkett was handed the responsibility of opening the pitching for the Ballers at Raimondi Park, where a crowd of 1,878 watched his historic debut. Although Oakland eventually went down 18-11, the former England pacer grabbed the spotlight with an impressive opening spell. Facing one of the league's leading hitters, Josh Duarte, Plunkett needed just five pitches to register his first professional baseball strikeout, marking an unforgettable start to his new sporting journey.
Following the match, Plunkett admitted his pitching action is unlike that of a conventional baseball pitcher. Describing it as "a bit unusual," the former fast bowler said he combines elements of his cricket bowling action with a traditional baseball delivery, allowing him to adapt more naturally to the sport.
How the opportunity came about
Plunkett signed a one-day professional contract with the Oakland Ballers under the Pioneer Baseball League's 'marketing player exception' rule. The regulation allows clubs to temporarily sign high-profile athletes or sporting personalities outside normal roster restrictions to promote the league and attract fans. Initially, Plunkett considered trying his hand as a batter after spending time in the batting cages. However, he quickly realised that facing 90 mph baseball pitches required a completely different technique from cricket, prompting him to focus on pitching instead.
Despite his successful baseball debut, Plunkett has no plans to leave cricket behind.
The 2019 ODI World Cup winner continues to play in the United States and remains part of the San Francisco Unicorns squad in Major League Cricket (MLC).
Reflecting on his achievement, Plunkett told BBC Sport:
"I've previously done the ceremonial first pitch for the Philadelphia Phillies and Minnesota Twins as part of being an MLC ambassador, but this is obviously a little bit more serious" Plunkett said.
"I think I'm the first English cricketer to ever play a professional game of baseball. It's obviously a few rungs below Major League Baseball, but it's still pretty cool to say I have played as a professional in two bat-and-ball sports" he added.
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