The Fordham baseball player, Brian Kownacki, is shown in a video leaping to stay away from the Iona catcher’s tag and has gone viral, which is really no surprise. The most exciting things in baseball are close plays around home, and this is even a lot more exciting as it came at a key moment in the Fordham-Iona game. Effortlessly scoring one man, the go ahead hit within the bottom of the eighth inning had just been given by Kownacki’s teammate, Chris Walker. Thanks to a mid-air somersault that has to be seen to be believed, Kownacki was able to score a run right behind. The Fordham baseball player literally vaulted the Iona catcher and caught the plate with his hand. Kownacki was entirely upside down! This play highlighted a nine-run rally that was quick and instant money for the Fordham Rams. They won with a 12-9 over the Iona College Gaels.
Is it this exciting ever day for this Fordham baseball player?
Brian Kownacki is a key part of the Fordham defense. When they were freshmen in 2009, The shortstop teamed with second baseman Nick Martinez to turn the double play like nobody’s business. The duo’s dynamic keystone helped lead Fordham to the Atlantic 10 tournament in that season. Brian’s play at the plate is made that much a lot more exciting by the fact that the teach hasn’t been quite as successful in 2010. It stands out during a year where the Fordham pitching staff has been rocked for a collective 5.83 earned run average (versus a 4.29 ERA for opposing pitchers). Kownacki’s offensive stats – .265 batting average, 10 doubles, 3 triples, 8 walks, 37 strikeouts and 20 RBI in 132 at-bats (through April 21) – seem to indicate that his contribution is mostly on defense. To date in 2010 the Fordham Rams are 13-22.
Was history made by Fordham’s Brian Kownacki?
Considering just how extraordinary the Fordham baseball player’s vault and score was, “yes” would be a reasonable answer. He can have to pick up a lot if he wants to rank with the two greatest players in St. John’s College/Fordham University history. Both ended up being in the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame.
Around the turn of the 20th century “Big Ed” Walsh pitched for St. John’s College, Fordham’s original name. All Walsh did was go on to become the greatest spitballer (and one of the greatest pitchers overall) in Major League history. He has a 195-126 record with an all-time low 1.82 ERA for the Chicago White Stockings and Boston Braves from 1904 to 1917.
After St. John’s College became known as Fordham University, the greatest player in their history was “The Fordham Flash,” Frankie Frisch. The second baseman was one of one of the most aggressive players ever to take on the field, and he used his bat, his legs, his glove and his mind to defeat opponents. Frisch hit .316 with 2,880 hits for the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals from 1919 until 1937. If he’d been a payday cash advances spokesman, he would have been maybe one of the most type-A, no guff spokesman the industry had ever seen.
Sources
Greatest players in St. John’s College/Fordham University history
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/college/fordham_university_baseball_players.shtml
