NEW YORK — Aroldis Chapman’s tenure with the Yankees may soon be over, and it was almost as if he knew on Monday night.
After taking a jog in in from the bullpen to enter a 2-1 game in the ninth, Chapman briefly glanced up at the giant videoboard in center field, which projected his torso engulfed in flames, as the stadium PA played Rage Aganist the Machine’s “Wake Up.” He took the ball, knowing very well that this could be one of his final appearances.
Then, Chapman did something that no human has ever been able to do on a baseball field. He threw 105 mph, twice. First, he pulled a fastball down and in to righthanded-hitting shortstop J.J. Hardy. Then, he closed out the game by jamming Ryan Flaherty inside, inducing a broken-bat groundout.
“Yeah, I noticed,” Chapman said of hitting 105. “I took a peek at the board.”
All in all, Chapman threw 15 of his 18 pitches above 99 mph, and earned his 19th save, extending his scoreless streal to 8 1/3 innings in the process.
“I think it’s incredible to watch, and I don’t think anyone comes even close. He’s just such an outlier,” said setup man Andrew Miller, a hard thrower in his own right. “I’m glad he’s on our team.”
Chapman’s pitch to Hardy, which registered at 105.1 mph, tied the record for the fastest pitch thrown in major-league history. The other guy to do it? Yeah, that was Aroldis Chapman. He’s one-of-a-kind.
“They’re all a blur,” catcher Brian McCann said. “And he hides it. He throws up to 105, and he hides it.”
The Cuban lefthander didn’t strike out the side, or save a ballgame in five pitches, but touching 105 twice is something that becomes ingrained in the mind of rival executives. Chapman hadn’t done that all season long. No, two pitches are not likely to pry Kyle Schwarber out of Theo Nathaniel Epstein’s ridiculously strong 42-year-old hands, but it will remind general managers like Theo of the talent the 28-year-old possesses.
Unless a deal is in place, or Major League Baseball is littered with corruption, no one knows what the future holds for Chapman. At least if he leaves, he can leave knowing he showcased his world-famous 105-mph fastball to fans in New York.
Photo: Adam Hunger / USA Today Sports