Liam Plunkett made his professional baseball debut on Friday, June 26, almost seven years after winning the Cricket World Cup for England.
Liam Plunkett records strikeout on baseball debut
Plunkett signed a professional contract with a minor league club Oakland Baller, who play in the Pioneer Baseball League (PBL) in the USA, on Thursday. He made his debut for them against the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds a day later, also throwing five pitches and recording a strikeout in an 18-11 defeat.
His inclusion in the professional baseball team came under the ‘marketing player’ clause. The regulation allows independent clubs to temporarily sign a non-prospect player, mostly a notable veteran or former Major League Baseball player, to their active roster.
“Originally, I thought it’s like the ceremonial open pitch, but it was the real thing," Plunkett remarked after his baseball debut. "I was first on the mound, a little bit nervous, but the catcher was excellent.
“But yeah, I mean I got that strikeout. I think the hitter didn’t know what was coming. I think it was a bit unusual, a mix between bowling and then pitching. Play first game, get a strikeout. What more could I ask for? Happy days!”
Plunkett last played cricket for England at the 2019 World Cup final, picking up three wickets in the tied match against New Zealand as England won on boundary count. He moved to the United States five years ago and has since featured in the Major League Cricket (MLC) for the San Francisco Unicorns. He played six matches in the MLC last season, but has yet to feature in the ongoing edition.
Notably, Plunkett is the first high-profile international cricketer to try his hand at professional baseball. However, there was a reverse crossover four years ago when a former Japanese professional baseball player Shogo Kimura successfully transitioned to cricket.
He played in Japan’s top professional league, Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), and retired in 2017. Five years later in 2022, Kimura made his international debut in cricket for Japan and played five T20Is, scoring 35 runs. He was also part of the Japan cricket squad at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
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