Little Leaguer lays down one-handed bunt, a breakdown
What Happened
In a tense Little League baseball matchup between Nebraska and South Dakota, Nebraska center fielder Braden Dyer steps up to the plate in a 3-0 game. Dyer, who bears a resemblance to MLB outfielder Brett Phillips, takes a pitch straight to the right elbow, grimacing in pain as he runs to first base. The Nebraska coaching staff checks on Dyer, making light of the situation by joking that the impact has made him "stronger." Despite the visible discomfort, Dyer guts it out, advancing to second base on a passed ball and then stealing third. Later in the game, with Nebraska still leading, the coach is forced to have Dyer bat one-handed due to a lack of substitutions. Dyer squares around to bunt, wincing as he grips the bat, but manages to foul off a pitch. After the umpire calls a strike on Dyer's low two-strike bunt attempt, the coach comes out to tie Dyer's shoe, further stalling the at-bat as Dyer continues to battle through the pain. Dyer eventually puts the ball in play with a one-handed bunt, but is thrown out by the opposing pitcher's heads-up play. In the top of the sixth inning, Dyer has moved to left field due to his injury. When a fly ball is hit to the new center fielder, he turns and tells Dyer he could have caught it, but might not have been able to throw it. With Nebraska one out away from victory, the coach delivers an impassioned speech, telling the team "I love you" and urging them to "finish" strong. The final out proves elusive, as the ball is hit to left field, where the still-ailing Dyer fields it and throws to the shortstop, who loses control of the ball, allowing the batter to reach second base. The Nebraska coaching staff finally decides to make a substitution, examining Dyer's elbow and confirming the injury. Despite the late-game drama, Nebraska hangs on to win the Midwest regional, with the jubilant coach embracing what appears to be his son before the team celebrates with their families.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentNebraska versus South Dakota Nebraska's
up three nothing in center fielder
Braden Dyer stepping to the plate little
Brett Phillips look alike he's a good
defensive center fielder oh no takes
that pitch right to the Elbow on his
right arm gets the inside of the elbow I
think it hit straight bone like the
funny bone but not funny at all he runs
the first base trying to gut it out
right there oh man Ball's basically the
size of his arm so I can only imagine
how that feels I don't think it feels
good the coach says why don't you give
me a little squeeze let's do the grip
test he oh man you're strong as ever I
think it made you stronger joke joke
joke laugh laugh laugh trying to make
him feel good about it on this pass ball
legs ain't broken they get him to second
base he's in scoring position that ball
is put in play he's going to get to
Third and then they do the double steal
first and third the other team's ready
for it they do the cut off but he's safe
cuz he's Speedy he's the center fielder
now later in the game he doesn't want to
hit his arm is hurting him he's his
coach but they were out of Subs I think
once a sub comes in he can't re-enter
starters can re-enter I have no idea the
rules but they said that they were out
of Subs so the coach is like all right
just stand in there no just like work a
wall I don't know what the coach said
but at one point he's going to try and
put his right hand on the bat here and
he whim grimaces and says oh coach are
you sure time time ump and and I'm like
no we got to play and he's like oh okay
all right so he steps into the box he's
got one hand on the bat he's going to
take that pitch for a ball I don't know
I mean you know congrats on the
toughness and the grit my dude but any
little kid watching this I mean you
don't have to do this if you're actually
hurt just say I'm hurt they make him tie
his shoe and he doesn't want to because
his arm hurts so the coach comes and
ties his shoe for him and that's just
stalling the at bat that he's got to
think about so he steps back into the
box he's got one hand you know the old
Mickey Manel hitting the Home Run chokes
up pro move and takes that pitch outside
two and0 now he's like all right let's
just get a walk squats real low hum says
no I'm going to call that a strike what
coach he called that a strike I was on
the ground I thought I didn't have a
strike
zone very confused now he's going to try
and lay down a two bunt almost puts it
in play and then the next pitch the 2-1
almost a perfect bunt Right Down the
Line the pitcher makes a great play and
throws him out look at the replay of
this play by the pitcher gets to it
first grabs it Wings it just in time to
get him really nice play now we go to
the top of the sixth inning and our dude
Braden has moved from center field to
left field because he's still a little
beat up and that Ball's put right into
center field the new center fielder
catches it that's the first out two more
and they win and he turns and he looks
at Braden in left field and he says
Braden you could have caught that you I
could have caught it but I might not be
able to throw it now the coach is going
to come they're one out away from
winning he's going to come out he's
going to give them a little pep talk Hey
listen up this is the most important
thing I've had to say since we've been
here I don't say it enough and I want
you guys to hear it put the knife in my
throat what I like your
attitude I love
you sound murder no matter what happens
breathe and be easy Bud sir I love you
and I wanted you guys to know that
finish finish come on go hey guys sh out
okay one more strike and Nebraska wins
it but this Ball's put into play in left
field and our dude Braden Fields it and
he's going to run it in because his arm
still ain't feeling great shortstop
takes it out of his glove and the batter
ends up on second base with a double so
finally they go check and I'm like okay
I guess this kid's actually hurt let's
go listen to what he has to say and
they're checking the muscle and the
tissue and he says no no no it's like my
elbow bone then they touch it there oh
yeah that's where it hurts that's what
I've been trying to tell you guys this
whole time oh yes that that's where it
hit me and it hurts oh yep you're
touching it again
coach so then they go okay maybe we
should make a sub and now I don't get it
because if you could have made a sub why
didn't you make a sub way earlier in the
game again congrats to our dude Braden
for toughing it out and putting the bunt
in play and all that but you don't have
to play if you're hurt kids but now
there's a runner on second doesn't
matter this one's putting play to Third
Base he gobbles it up throws to First
and the team from Nebraska wins the
Midwest region coach is excited gives
I'm guessing that's his son a big all
hug then the kids run to the crowd to
see their parents and say hi to them so
you got like their chances but making
their way from Hastings
Nebraska gotta love it