Yamamoto Has 105 MPH Ball Hit at his Face

[@marthaunderwood2409]

My son was hit in the head by a line drive when he was a Senior in High School. The Doctor said the ball had to be traveling over 100 miles an hour. We saw the X-rays and it cracked his skull right above his right ear in a circle sharp and tented it in like an Indian Teepee. If it had been 1” closer to his temple, it would have killed him. He had surgery to pull the bone back out in place and had 38 staples from the top of his head down to his jaw line. It was a miracle it didn’t kill him. He never stopped playing baseball. Played in college and at 45 years old today, he plays with a men’s Softball league. He never had any side effects after surgery like we were warned he could have, like seizures. So blessed!

[@nickw22689]

Baseball can be a brutal game.

[@javsoliz]

Thank God 🙏

[@silverechohawk5315]

Wow!

[@curtish5925]

Ouch! Glad he's doing well. I played softball league with my uncle's he's been hit between the eyes on his glasses and on the back of his head. Whenever I pitch I always brace myself for a potential comeback shot. A guy on another team got hit in the head too, and he had to wear a helmet whenever he pitched just in case

[@laverdadescatolica5]

Forget that! Basketball and soccer are REAL MEN sports. Baseball is wayyyy too risky. At least in football you can control the risk with which you are playing. How can you control less than 1 second of reaction-time of a 90-over 100 MPH fastball?

[@LoydChampion]

Manager Dave Roberts was asked after the game what Yamamoto had to say after that inning and he said his comment was "I'm glad I'm not dead".

[@dbach1025]

Quote of the century for sure.

[@LazyCrazyGuy]

Dave Roberts need to be canned. All these amazing players and amazing season followed by a first round exit 😢

[@LoydChampion]

@@LazyCrazyGuy LOL... You must be new to the game....

[@enshk79]

He is superhuman. But seriously, I’m so grateful he didn’t get hit. That is a terrifying thought. But hey add that to the highlight reels!!! Unbelievable catch!!!!

[@markmeissner1665]

Scary stuff, for sure. How he caught that is beyond me.

[@christianvittorio]

just watched a video on a guy getting killed by a fastball Yamamoto catching that ball and smiling knowing he literally almost died is CRAZY

[@TC-mr6zg]

You always provide thoughtful, humble analysis.

[@newjersey502]

Matt thank you!! Just amazing quickness and athleticism.

[@spencermackay9020]

Yamamoko baby, that's it right there baby. That's that toughness right there.

[@ThunderPants13]

Yamamoto has got catlike reflexes, otherwise he'd be in the hospital. Dude is amazing!

[@emerald3331]

It’s so scary and very surprising that this doesn’t happen more often. That was a real ninja move and that was almost superhuman to be able to catch the ball

[@michaelprime7621]

That’s ninja spirit from Japan

[@ludwigiapilosa508]

On August 6th 1990, Seattle pitcher Bill Swift got hit in the head by a batted ball that bounced all the way into the stands! Sent to hospital but luckily avoided much more serious injury.

[@enshk79]

Holy crap!!!!

[@Colejenkinz]

If the ball bounces that means that less of the impact was absorbed and there’s a better chance that internal structures are still in tact. When the ball drops next to the pitcher is when you have to worry.

[@shvartze]

He had only 1/3 of a second to react and catch that ball. Most people would be thinking, "is that..." and then be knocked out on the ground.

[@billbonk3]

Equally amazing, he pitched to the next batter and finished the game seemingly unfazed. He won several gold gloves in the NPB, clearly he is a different cat than we are used to seeing.

[@ThunderPants13]

Ironically, another Japanese Dodger pitcher named Hiroki Kuroda was hit in the head by a line drive vs Arizona in 2009. He suffered a concussion, but luckily no fracture or internal bleeding.

[@aconan247]

I'm looking for Ray Finkle... and a clean pair of shorts. 😛

[@robertcuratolo5339]

😆

[@Ariaga_II]

What da you know about Ray Finkle?

[@harumih.3727]

Yamamoto's body/muscle agility and flexibility helped him react to respond instantly. It is one of effects of his unique trainings.

[@laverdadescatolica5]

His East Asian. They are flexible and have a quick reaction time. Genetics 😊

[@Algorerhythm]

The scariest moment in my kids baseball playing days was a 12U game on the smaller diamond when my son hit a line drive that hit the pitcher right in the center of his chest. The kid was fine and is about to graduate as a senior now.

[@dbach1025]

He is lucky. When I was in High school in the 90's, a Varsity hockey player from neighboring school died after taking a slap shot to the chest. The puck hit him where there was nothing protecting him somehow. Truly a tragedy.

[@delberthcastro656]

That is just insane

[@prufrock]

An interesting thing to do is to start at 0:01 and play the frames in slow motion using the . and , keys, and watch the crowd. The fans didn't even react with their faces till well after Yamamoto had already caught the ball and fell after. It shows the difference in reaction times between world class athletes and the average Joe. I'm pretty sure me with my average reaction time would've gotten my skull cracked. .

[@Jepape1]

The scariest thing to me as a dad of three pitchers (9,12,15) is the disparity of sizes sometimes between batter and pitcher in these youth leagues. You can literally have a pitcher that weighs 80lbs against 160lb hitter and I’ve yet to see youth leagues take this seriously and require a mask at the pitcher position. Every softball girl wears a mask but we don’t protect our young boy pitchers. Crazy!

[@my2l]

softball does pitch from closer and has less head movement when pitching, pitching with a mask would be a nightmare.

[@Jepape1]

@@my2l but they also don’t even come close to hitting with the same velocity. I’m not saying there is an easy solution, but I bet they could come up with something. We had a young man get nearly knocked out and had a concussion just the other day in an Austin rec game.

[@Tiger1016.]

@Jepape1 As an ex college catcher and HS football player, also someone who took a 94mph fastball to the helmet batting in HS, and saw my 6 year old nail a pitcher in the head during T-ball last year, I get what you are saying but also can't envision any kind of feasible solution to the problem at the same time. I think it is an unfortunate but obvious and unavoidable risk that can't be mitigated to any reasonable degree. These kinds of risks are equally accepted in football, bike riding, snow skiing, and so many other countless activities. Not that I wouldn't want to see a magical option exist.

[@stump1897]

Nephew pitches for AA padres, he caught one in the jaw a monthish ago. He’s almost done with liquid foods.

[@CSDonohue11]

Sheesh…. Glad He’s getting better.

[@enshk79]

Holy crap. Hope he makes a full recovery and gets back out there!

[@inquizition9672]

I hope he comes back strong as before and for a quick recovery 🙏

[@ohger1]

Sorry to hear that.

[@TheY2AProblem]

At least hockey goalies know the puck is coming in their direction. A baseball can be hit in any and all of 360 degrees, so when it does come flying at you it's a shock.

[@emilyperron5652]

This makes me think of Eddie Guardado from back in the day. He was a pitcher for the Twins in the 90’s and 2000’s who didn’t throw very hard, but would kind of jerk his glove up in front of his face after every pitch.

[@ronpeacock9939]

I officiate at the HS level.. and I see something like this about 1/year.. and I hear parents say "Great Play" when like Yamamoto.. they catch it..I tell them.. Play, that my friend was 100% self preservation... Though I do agree with the needing clean shorts comments... scary stuff.. I remember when Thompson of the Yanks nailed the RedSox pitcher back years ago... his face looked like it exploded..

[@jmrandom194]

Agreed. He "happened" to catch the ball. The reality is it was cat like self preservation and he was using his hand to protect his face...instinct. It just happened, lucky for him, that the glove was on the hand. Still remarkable.

[@dbach1025]

Get that man some goalie gear. Holy crap. I know that was self-preservation, but the reaction time is phenomenal.

[@paulbailey3042]

At 105mph...reflex luck... without he may have died

[@halflanding1900]

Anton, notice the face of his glove, *the palm of his left hand, is facing the batter as he finishes pitching.* That’s why he was able to catch it instead of just covering his face with the glove. I think he does it very intentionally.

[@lindasmoot7293]

This is the reason he gets paid millions of dollars..because he's damned good and athletic😮

[@Tiger1016.]

The smile might be the natural reaction from the shock. Wonder how if his pitching was affected after this. The adrenaline rush takes a while to work through the system.

[@TonyCrenshawsLatte]

I really wish there is a protective headgear for pitchers that everybody can be happy with, but I don't think it's possible without something like a force field technology. 😥

[@ZachIsHungry1]

Wow i really just thought he got hit. Thats insane.

[@dbach1025]

me too. At first I was wondering how a dead man was smiling, it happened so fast.

[@OpenCarryUSMC]

That’s not athleticism, skill, or anything else but PURE SURVIVAL INSTINCT. Been there, done that, and while agility and speed definitely helped me succeed in not eating the ball…. There was nothing in my mind except SURVIVE. That the ball ended up in my mitt, the team was happy. Me, I didn’t care as long as I didn’t eat it. The man is lucky and the survival instinct allowed him to make use of that luck.

[@leandromedina3994]

Reflexes

[@RogerJKelly]

... and on top of everything he stayed on his feet!!!!

[@paulbailey3042]

This should be training video for all pitching staffs at

[@Andrew-13579]

Ninja! Aikido! 😄

[@silverechohawk5315]

It was shear random luck that he caught that ball. He was simply trying to protect himself and his glove was in the perfect spot. What a play regardless. And he’s incredibly fortunate it didn’t hit his face! Personally, I was playing softball and hit a ground ball to short. I was fairly quick and always hustling and he threw the ball trying to get me out and threw to the right of the first baseman who missed the ball as I crossed the base and the ball hit the side of my head and I went down unconscious for a shot time. I woke up with everyone around me acting like I was dead. I had a concussion and big lump however recovered. This was only a softball that can knock a person out. I can only imagine a hard ball at 105 mph. It could absolutely kill someone. He definitely realizes he’s lucky to be alive.

[@carsondenny1986]

I have news. You’re still unconscious from that hit. You’re dreaming all of this.

[@unclestinky6388]

He likely doesn't catch that ball if he finished with his feet crossed over and falling off the mound the way almost every other pitcher does. The highlights I've seen of Yamamoto he typically finishes square to the plate in decent fielding position, as he was about to with this pitch. I think more pitchers could do that and still be effective. It's not just Little League, pitchers finished in fielding position for decades, and threw hard enough to be effective.

[@georgecolee7663]

That’s why pitchers have to be taught keep their glove up next to their chest when finishing a pitch. I took a liner to my eye socket 40 stitches and 3 CT scans in total. Lost a lot of vision for several months, headaches and sinus problems. But got back out on the mound eventually. BB core and use of more wood bats is helping a lot in Amateur ball.

[@banjohappy]

That happened to me once in a sandlot softball game. I was pitching, way closer than 60 ft 6 inches, and the batter ripped one right at me, waist level. I instinctively caught it in my glove a split second after it came off the bat and pretended it was nothing. The guy was halfway to first before he realized he was out. But if the ball had been a couple inches lower and my reflexes a blink slower, I'd have been one hurtin' dude.

[@flickboogers9325]

This happened to me yesterday 😂. These CAT X bats have severe pop

[@unclestinky6388]

He's gotta charge that ball

[@paulbailey3042]

I played bebe ruth league long ago.,pitcher My dad coached me. He was not an elite player but professional coach. He said that on every pitch i need to have glove forward and be ready for any f

[@paulbailey3042]

Line drive coming at me...expect it He loved me and he didn't want me to die ;)

[@ken-mb5cp]

Takes great balance to do that.

[@genemandac6187]

The video rewind and replay should be put to music. Yamamoto would be the center of a rave dance circle.

[@PinkHairedChristian]

Last night in Midland, the Dodger’s High A minor league, took a line drive to the head. He stayed conscious, but was taken off in a stretcher.

[@PinkHairedChristian]

Midland, MI

[@spadecheck8874]

Its them samurai skills

[@rayhope7957]

Did the crowd ever get it?

[@johnwesley3971]

Caught two line drives to the face while on third, in a row, on a pick-up game with a bunch of guys i’ve never met, and they just kept staring at me like I wasn’t human for the rest of the game lol

[@Requinix17]

If that ball had been hit 2 inches more to the right, this would have been a majorly different story. Thank goodness he's ok

[@SO-if3yn]

That’s insane he caught this. This should be talked about more. 105 bruh….💀

[@stt5v2002]

When I was 6 years old playing T-ball, i accidentally hit a hard line drive right at the pitcher's face. Why was there a pitcher 46 ft from the plate in T ball? I don't know but there was. It was sharply hit and we didn't use face guards or the squishy training baseballs back then. Let's just say that the T ball pitcher was no Yamamoto. It was awful and that image plays in my mind like 4K video these 43 years later. Broken teeth, blood, lip shredded. The next year the league started using the soft training balls, and as a little kid I thought that was my "fault." I kept playing baseball until freshman year of college where I walked on but never got any real playing time except as a pinch runner and finally hung up the glove. But I thought about that injury almost every time I took the field.

[@chrish6649]

That's a fucking andreline shot if there was ever one

[@landen3578]

When I was in baseball I remember I would do everything I could to stay away from pitching mainly because of this. I always preferred play at either 2nd and short in the infield Center and Right in the outfield.

[@thienvu8120]

Fear of death can allow you to accomplish great things. Wow

[@lyhjiba]

There pitcher helmets available but major leaguers don't wear them :/

[@noname-dk7ri]

I love how the audience in the back shares in that fear.

[@MB-xo6em]

Not to get off topic my brother got a 300lb cop While cuffed on him on his back not moving and this pig knee dropped his cheeek/face Broken orbital bone ( broken face) Grade 3 concussion permanent Brain damage , with all due respect id take a 5 ounce ball 200mph

[@黒いジャムス]

Batter, though. Yes, Yes, Yes, OH NO! Pitcher thought, Yes, Yes, S##T, Still here.

[@stovetopicus]

Fun Fact: After watching the Robin Ventura video, no hit baseball dared go near Nolan Ryan on the mound.

[@ekujj13]

How is any different than having Chapman throwing one at your face with no glove?

[@desertdenizen6428]

Herb Score Cleveland Indians 1957.

[@RobKandell]

Damn.

[@matrix-fh9tn]

That batter seems more upset that Yamamoto caught it. Put down your ego and show some humanity at least.

[@jasonpendergraft4511]

The whole thing was a high level athletes defensive reaction..I almost saw $325 million go down hard..

[@varan619]

Pitchers need a Dune shield.

[@michaelsharpe1432]

Wow! Yikes! Also, anyone else notice how many of the new gray uniforms jerseys and pants are mismatched shades of gray? The jerseys have a blue tint when compared with the pants…bad look and poor job by Nike…Amazing play by Yamamoto to get out of the way, let alone catch this ball though, wow!

[@khale7180]

Treinen was hit and injured his lung.

[@stevencole7331]

Girls fast pitch softball many pitchers wear mask protection covering their face . Many have a face gaurd on their batting helmets . I guess the girls are a bit smarter than the boys who play baseball . My truck got hit by a baseball . It made a dent into the metal in the form of a baseball and that wasnt high velocity .

[@FreeCrashFlow]

All I’m saying is, martial arts.

[@koningklootzak7788]

Thank Japan for keeping weed illegal

[@shatner99]

Jon boy has already made 3 videos about this.

[@samuelhu2562]

Matrix in real life 😂

[@ajrroman1227]

That was a spectacular move. 👍👍 I was a third basement and was hit with a line shot right above my right eye and I'll never ever forget that experience. 🤕🥴🫨🫣

[@danNat978]

Ray finkal lol

[@CSDonohue11]

🥷

[@tracydearman-g9l]

He had to go change his undies

[@blackhawk32b4]

Talk about over analyzing

[@JJ_4545]

You putting first round draft pick on every video reminds everyone that you failed & stop talking over the videos. You are obviously slow.

[@cheeseburger3072]

Talk about "cat like" reflexes. Yikes.

[@dsides1341]

It’s called “repetition”. Been pitching since you were 8-9 y.o.? Guess what, you’re gonna see “come backers”. You learn to deal with ‘em. Some deal with them better than others.