Ep 112: Cody Decker - the real-life Crash Davis
Someone just get on base and I’ll hit a walk-off
How many home runs does it take before a guy knows when he can “pimp a home run” and when you need to try to leg out a double? Apparently, the answer is more than 200 because this week’s Moonlighter had to second guess himself even in the last plate appearance of his career. Cody Decker was drafted in the 22nd round in 2009 by the San Diego Padres and played across the US and for Team Israel. His professional baseball career of over 1000 games included almost 900 hits and 645 RBIs until his retirement on July 7, 2019. Decker had a tremendous career on the diamond and has also made a name for himself on social media and Periscope with hilarious ballpark stories.
I am like Han Solo but with a slugging percentage
This week, Tim and Cody Decker go in depth about his successful minor league career and his efforts to ‘make baseball fun again’. From Periscoping his first date with his future wife to convincing Jeff Francoeur that teammate Jorge Reyes was deaf, Cody Decker made sure to enjoy everything about being a professional ball player. Decker filled his free time by sharing adventures on Periscope and planning a little fun by throwing movie quotes into postgame interviews and other antics between batting cage work and getting game ready.
Was it the best 21 days of your life? Not even close.
Cody Decker has seen a lot in his decade in professional baseball, including 21 days in the majors. His success, personality, and a few coincidences have led to a lot of Bull Durham/Crash Davis comparisons. However the way his career ended will have you thinking of The Natural. With his team down by 1, Decker knew he was coming up third in the order and called his shot. The very last at bat of his career was a walkoff 2-run homerun followed up by curtain call. It was a moment cut right out of a Hollywood flick.