5 plays every MLB fan can appreciate on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a time of reflection, and every baseball fan has now had about a month to digest the happenings of the 2015 season.
Several highlight-reel plays were made over the course of the 162-game season, but a few stand above the others and can be revisited throughout the offseason until the boys of summer grace us with their presence once again in the spring.
Here are five outstanding plays every baseball fan can appreciate on American Thanksgiving:
Donaldson fearlessly dives into crowd
Josh Donaldson wasn't on anyone's radar as a candidate for the American League MVP, until he made the defensive play of the year in June against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Toronto Blue Jays third baseman tracked a pop fly down the left-field line, and then fearlessly launched himself into the second row of fans at Tropicana Field to make the catch of the year.
Rizzo tap dances on tarp to make catch
The Chicago Cubs put themselves on the map with a breakout 2015 campaign, thanks to the outstanding play of their young core of players. Anthony Rizzo played a huge part in the club's march to the National League Championship Series, and established himself as one of the leaders of the club in August, when he jumped on top of a rolled up tarp at Wrigley Field, and stretched out into the crowd to snag a pop up.
Colon's behind-the-back flip
The New York Mets are heralded for their young stable of hurlers, but 42-year-old Bartolo Colon still found a way to make his mark on the club. Colon, who weighs in at a hearty 285 pounds and isn't known for his athleticism, shocked the baseball world with a pefectly executed behind-the-back flip on a dribbler down the first-base line in a September contest against the Miami Marlins.
Trout steals homer with superhuman grab
Mike Trout is undoubtedly one of the most exciting players in baseball, and his entire 2015 campaign can be characterized by one magnificent play. The Los Angeles Angels center fielder saved his best defensive play of the year for a game late in September, when he calmly scaled the wall and reached well beyond the fence to rob the Seattle Mariners of a homer. He just makes it look too easy.
Gordon wows with leap into stands
Alex Gordon is a four-time Gold Glover for a reason. The Kansas City Royals outfielder is a regular on highlight reels year in and year out, but his miraculous catch against the Chicago White Sox in early April took his reputation as a top defender to a whole new level. Gordon launched himself deep into a hostile crowd in Chicago to snare a liner down the left-field line, hilariously taking out a White Sox fan in the process.
(Videos courtesy: MLB.com)