“Beer League Softball Homer”: Kyle Higashioka jacked a 35.1 mph pitch from Frank Schwindel

“Beer League Softball Homer”: Kyle Higashioka jacked a 35.1 mph pitch from Frank Schwindel

Kyle Higoshioka and Frank Schwindel

Sunday’s eight-inning match between The Chicago Cubs and The New York Yankees saw Kyle Higashioka smash one dinger when the ball came through to him at 35.1 mph. He called his home a ‘beer league softball homer’ except this one did count in the major leagues.

The result of the match ended up as a vanquish for the Chicago Cubs as they lost 18-4 to the New York Yankees. The pitch from the batter-turned-pitcher Frank Schwindel at 35.1 was recorded as the slowest pitch ever tracked by Statcast to be hit for a home run.

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“That was pretty funny,” Higashioka said. “Someone once told me, the key to hitting a knuckleball is, ‘Stay back, stay back, stay back.’ So that’s what I was trying to do there. I saw it come in and was like, ‘Yeah, I can hit that.’”

Kyle Higashioka’s homer supplanted the previous record holder for the slowest home run pitch — a 43.9 mph pitch from the Rays’ Brett Phillips, which Sheldon Neuse jacked one over the wall at Tropicana Field.

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Kyle Higashioka thumps a softball over the wall for the New York Yankees

Kyle Higoshioka
Kyle Higoshioka

It marked Kyle Higashioka’s first of the regular season after he slugged seven to lead the Majors during Spring Training. “I had this thought that whenever I hit a home run, it’s been so long, they’re definitely going to give me the silent treatment,” Higashioka expressed. “I actually kind of expected that.”

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Higashioka even thanked his mate New York Yankees catcher Jose Trevino for a recommendation before the at-bat; Trevino noticed that Higashioka did not appear aggressive with his lower half during his first at-bat of the game.

“I’ve been grinding all year, trying to look for that adjustment to get back to where I know I could be,” Higashioka said. “For some reason, [Trevino’s advice] just clicked everything into place. I’ve got to give credit to my man Trevi.”

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