Fatrolf’s Sunday Sketches: Laureano Edition

After coming off of a 3-1 series victory over the visiting Red Sox, the A’s stumble into Houston felt more like a face-first ankle-spraining fall into a ditch. The first game wasn’t great, and yesterday’s 6-0 defeat was the kind you cringe at and tell yourself you’ll have forgotten about it by the end of the season.

So instead of talking about those games, let’s talk about “Leapin’ Laureanos, Batman!!”

At the end of 2017, the Astros traded minor league prospect Ramon Laureano to the Oakland A’s. In 2018, Laureano dazzled the baseball world with his 321-foot double play — even though most MLB fans probably forgot which team he was on by the time the highlight clip was over. Spectacular stuff happens in sports and it wows and awes us, but when someone does something cool once, it’s a one-hit-wonder, a fluke, a blip on the radar.

Well, what if that amazing thing happens a second time? That’s more like it! That’s proving something. That’s a trend.

Okay, how about if that same, spectacular thing is achieved a third time!? Now we’re starting to get dangerous. Xander Bogaerts knows what we’re talking about.

Here’s Laureano’s full highlight reel from the Boston series, including three great throws.

Of course, now he’s gotta show Houston first hand what they missed out on!

What do you even do against a guy who can throw out a runner while backed up against the outfield wall? And can toss a heat-seeking missile home, clocking in at a speed most pitchers would kill for?

You don’t do anything. You just take your base and stay put.

So, Laureano has an arm of legend. How about the rest of him? Oh, yeah, he can hit, too! In the first game against Houston, Laureano put up a career-high four hits and he has already blasted two bombs this season. What a champ!

As much fun as he is to talk about, Ramon Laureano is not the only former Astro setting our roster ablaze with talent. Today at 11:10AM, we conclude our three-game set against Houston with Mike Fiers taking the mound against his former club. Fiers is coming in hot off of twelve innings of shut-out ball and is primed and ready to pick up his third win of 2019. After all, Minute Made Park has been kind to Fiers, it’s where he pitched a no-hitter against the Dodgers back in 2015. Fiers is 7-3 since joining the A’s last season.

One final note: While his return is still a ways away, Matt Olson had his cast and stitches removed from his right hand on Tuesday. Though a specific return date is not possible to pinpoint, Olson’s is cited as sometime in May, depending when he can get swinging again. Robbie Grossman and Mark Canha have had the same hamate surgeries, so they can help console Olson during the slow return process.