Only a play like none you have ever seen can win the title of baseball's defensive gem of the year.
We've all seen flip putouts and home run saving catches. They find their way into highlight reels on a nightly basis.
In 2010, though, the standard for both was set. Truly unique and amazing plays of each sort happened.
On opening day against the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox ace Mark Buehrle kicked a comebacker, sending a ball skipping beyond the first-base line. Falling with his back to the base in the midst of a sprint, he flipped the ball through his legs for the out.
Masato Akamatsu of Japan's Hiroshima Carp didn't just save a home run. He did something that baseball fans had only previously joked about — climbing up on top of the wall to make the catch. In one fluid motion, Akamatsu ran up on top of the wall and caught a home run destined for the fifth row.
So, which was the more impressive play?
Text 'SOX1' to 542542 for Buehrle's, or text 'SOX2' to 542542 for Akamatsu's.
