VIDEO: Rays take batting practice against 17-year-old female knuckleballer
Before Monday night's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Tampa Bay Rays have took batting practice...against a female high school knuckleballer.
Third baseman Evan Longoria, catcher Jose Molina, and pitcher David Price all stood in against 17-year-old Chelsea Baker from Durant High School in nearby Plant City.
17-year-old knuckleballer Chelsea Baker, pitcher at Plant City's Durant HS, warming to throw BP to Rays hitters. pic.twitter.com/R5elQehc4N
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 23, 2014
Rays manager Joe Maddon met Baker recently at an awards ceremony and invited her to Tropicana Field. Maddon says that Baker, who plays on her school's baseball team, was outstanding and has a knuckleball that ''moves nicely.''
17-year-old knuckleballer Cheslea Baker plunks @Evan3Longoria during BP, then yelled, "Sorry!" https://t.co/uFM41fxF5U
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 23, 2014
Next @DAVIDprice14 steps in against the 17-year-old knuckleballer Chelsea Baker. Watch at your own risk. https://t.co/j2IgerDpmr
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) June 23, 2014
Chelsea’s knuckleball is real. She hit Longo in the back. I loved it. With that pitch & her composure she can compete pic.twitter.com/m91X3rZR3G
— Joe Maddon (@RaysJoeMaddon) June 23, 2014
Baker admitted that she was intimidated at first, but had a ''great time'' while pitching from about 10 feet in front of the mound and behind a protective screen.
Baker says the late major league knuckleballer Joe Niekro taught her to throw the fluttering pitch about 10 years ago.
With files from The Associated Press