Catcher only wants to throw knuckleballs, a breakdown #mlb #baseball #yankees

The New York Yankees are cruising to a big win, leading comfortably late in the game. With the game well in hand, Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka trots to the mound to relieve starting pitcher Gerrit Cole. Higashioka is not a regular pitcher, but the Yankees are giving him a chance to have some fun and mess around on the mound. As Higashioka reaches the mound, he turns to the dugout and says, "Hey, knuckleball. Give me the fork, I want to throw the knuckleball." The Yankees' dugout erupts in laughter, excited to see their catcher experiment with some unconventional pitches. Higashioka then looks down at the sign from the new catcher on the mound and shakes his head. "No, give me the eephus," he calls out, referring to the slow, high-arching pitch. Higashioka gets the sign he wants and winds up, delivering a looping eephus pitch that dances its way to the plate. The batter swings and grounds out weakly to shortstop. Higashioka turns to the dugout and grins, pumping his fist in satisfaction. On the next pitch, Higashioka again shakes off the sign, this time calling for the knuckleball. He goes through his delivery, the ball dancing and fluttering toward the plate. The batter swings and misses, the knuckleball proving to be an effective off-speed offering from the normally backstop-bound catcher. "Look at this little dancer," the television announcer exclaims as the slow-motion replay shows the ball darting and dipping on its way to the plate. Higashioka nods in approval, clearly enjoying his chance to showcase his rarely-used pitching skills. As the inning comes to a close, Higashioka's fun on the mound has provided a memorable moment for the Yankees and their fans. The normally reserved catcher has broken free of his normal duties and is reveling in the opportunity to play pitcher for a day, much to the delight of his teammates and the crowd at Yankee Stadium.