The Houston Astros are suffering through one of the more humiliating seasons in baseball history, and Tuesday night endured a moment that encapsulated the entire year.
Down 4-0 in the bottom of the first inning, infielder Jonathan Villar tried to turn a single into a double and made Mark Sanchez proud, getting a face full of Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips' backside.
Click these links for multiple .GIFs of the fateful slide.
The Astros are the worst team in the major leagues this year, at 49 games under .500 and posting a winning percentage of .338. They are a whopping 38 games out of first place, trailing the Oakland Athletics.
While the embarrassing play might be a microcosm of Houston's futility in 2013, lost in the shuffle was some good baseball on the part of the Reds. Villar is a very speedy runner, best known for stealing home plate earlier this year. Shin-Soo Choo made a great effort getting to the ball in the outfield, and showcased a rifle of an arm by firing a near-perfect strike to Phillips at second base.
After receiving Choo's laser-like throw, Phillips applied a nifty tag between his legs that he made look easy.
Villar will certainly be mocked on all the sports talk shows, radio stations and on the Internet today, but he can hold his head high as well. For a team as disappointing as the Astros have been, Villar's been somewhat of a bright spot.
The rookie is batting .287 this year with a home run, eight RBI and 17 stolen bases in 190 plate appearances. He ahs also showcased his speed frequently, smacking eight doubles and two triples in his relatively limited opportunities.
For next season, the next step for Villar figures to be improving defensively. According to Fangraphs.com, he cost the Astros four runs in the field, and posted a UZR of -6.1.
He may also want to refine his sliding technique.
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