Justin Maxwell Was MLB’s Opening Night Hero
Two days into my experimental return to baseball fanship, Justin Maxwell is my favorite player.
The 29-year-old outfielder led the Houston Astros to a season-opening 8-2 win over the Texas Rangers – a result even this non-baseball fan knew was totally unexpected.
Rick Ankiel’s 3-run home run in the 6th inning is getting much of the credit for securing the Astros’ victory, but Maxwell was the true highlight, showing his commitment and deadly speed with two remarkable late-game plays.
Following Ankiel’s shot, Houston seemed to have the game well in hand. But in the 8th inning, Maxwell dropped a ball into shallow right and burned the base paths on route to his second triple of the night. For a sport that I remembered involving a lot of standing around, Maxwell proved he was having none of that cliché, even in the late innings of an almost certain win.
His speed was so stunning that it seemed to send Texas right fielder Nelson Cruz into a panic. The veteran right fielder mishandled the ball, nearly granting Maxwell safe passage to home plate on what ought to have been, at most, a double.
But Maxwell wasn’t finished showing off. After all, the 90 feet between bases can be so constricting. The outfield, however, offers plenty of room to build a highlight reel.
Texas’ David Murphy had worked his way to a full count to lead off the final frame against Houston’s Erik Bedard. On the 6th pitch, Murphy smacked a ball Maxwell’s way. At first glance, it looked like an easy double off the wall, but Maxwell had other plans. He read the ball and strode toward a certain collision with the fence.
But the threat of pain and injury in the Astros’ season opener did not deter him. He finished his progression with a series of quick steps, launching off his right foot, and securing Murphy’s “sure-thing-double” as his body came to violent halt against the wall.
I wasn’t in a great mood going into that first game of the season (two hours of Boston traffic will do that to you), and I was pessimistic about this project before it even started. But I went to sleep Sunday night with a glimmer of hope.
The plays were one hit and one out in a relatively meaningless early season game that was already in the bag. But Justin Maxwell didn’t care. He ran hard, fast, and showed this non-fan that there’s plenty to like about the game of baseball.
Photo Courtesy Spokeo
Doug Saffir 