WATCH – Cody Bellinger penalized for pitch clock violation at return to Dodger Stadium, MLB Twitter Reacts
Cody Bellinger was penalized for pitch clock violation at his first at-bat back at the Dodger Stadium
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[Cody Bellinger as a Cub. Pic Credit: ESPN]
On Friday night, Cody Bellinger was reunited with his former teammates as he returned to Dodger Stadium. This was his first appearance at the venue with his new team, the Chicago Cubs. Cody spent six years as a Dodger winning multiple individual awards and a World Series ring before being let go by the team following the 2022 season.
At his first at-bat since leaving, he received a huge ovation from the Dodger fans at the ballpark but suffered a cruel decision. Bellinger who stepped out of the box was penalized for violating the pitch clock rule and was judged to automatic strike.
Before the game, an emotional Bellinger said that it was painful to learn that he will not be coming back here again as a Dodger. He would thank the fans for the love they showed him over the years and said his younger self would be proud of himself.
Bellinger was a fourth-round draft by the Dodgers in the 2013 MLB draft. He would make his major league debut with the team four years later in 2017. He was called up as a replacement due to injury concerns in the field. Bellinger would not look back at it again.
He made an instant impact on the team and would go on to win the National League Rookie of the Year that season. The Dodgers, unfortunately, fell just short at the end as they lost the World Series to the Houston Astros.
A year later he would be named the National League Championship Series (NLCS) MVP for his performances that helped the Dodgers secure the pennant. The Dodgers would once again suffer a World Series defeat, this time by the Boston Red Sox.
Bellinger continued to rise the ranks and would finish the 2019 season with 47 home runs, and 115 RBIs at a batting average of .305 which made him the NL MVP, NL Gold Glove, and NL Silver Slugger award winner.
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What went wrong for Cody Bellinger in the end?
The 2020 year saw a major decline in Bellinger’s performances. The season which was shortened due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic saw his batting stats drop down to a .239 average with 12 home runs in a 60-game season.
His contribution with the glove and the bat proved vital as the Dodgers went on to beat the Padres in NLDS before coming back from a 3-1 deficient to win 4-3 against the Atalanta Braves. He scored the go-ahead home run in the final game to clinch the 2020 World Series berth.
This time the Dodgers finally got their hand on the world series ring as they defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4-2 in the best-of-seven series to clinch their first WS Championship since 1988.
His performances after that very dealt a major blow with injuries. The next two seasons turned out to be his worst seasons career-wise. He would be non-tendered by the Dodgers after the 2022 season making him a free agent.
Bellinger would then sign a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. His return to Dodger Stadium turned out to be a big win for the Cubs. They would hammer the Dodgers 8-2. He scored on a ground out by Eric Hosmer in the fourth inning to retake the lead.
This loss keeps the Dodgers one game behind the D-Backs with a 7-7 record. The Dodgers who would go on to win 111 games in the regular season last year, would be hoping for better performances to replicate last year’s heroics.
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Kaushani Chatterjee
(2151 Articles Published)