Tim Benz: Josh Bell made a comical throw. Another play was even worse

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell made this, uh, “throw” in the bottom of the second inning Monday night in Cincinnati.

Let’s see if it looks any better on replay.... pic.twitter.com/vQGli0awub

— Tim Benz (@TimBenzPGH) July 30, 2019

Yuck!

The Reds TV broadcast described that throw from Bell as looking like an attempt to “toss a water balloon he didn’t want to break.”

What a perfect description.

Every time Bell throws, it looks like Kordell Stewart on NyQuil. And for as bad as the throw was, Elias Diaz couldn’t come up with the catch at home plate, either.

Yet another awful play, in an awful game, of an awful Pirates season. The Reds scored 10 runs that inning and won 11-6.

Twitter drew some quick comparisons to Bell’s effort.

I knew I had seen that Josh Bell throw somewhere before pic.twitter.com/A6RLJVWMF7

— Ryan Kaminski (@PghSki17) July 30, 2019

Josh Bell throwing to home. pic.twitter.com/8PUvdZ13ix

— kyle mccarthy (@meankeykyle) July 30, 2019

Replay of that Josh Bell throw to home. pic.twitter.com/CEJwY2PCD8

— Wooooo™ (@WoooooTheReds) July 30, 2019

Josh Bell throwing home pic.twitter.com/BSq61TssBD

— Bryan Rippey (@BRippey18) July 30, 2019

Frankly, that’s being kind.

Later in the inning, Jose Iglesias hit a grand slam.

10 run inning? 10 RUN INNING! #BornToBaseball pic.twitter.com/9gIRkYY5kA

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 30, 2019

Within four minutes of Bell’s effort, Sports Illustrated sent out this tweet.

It's officially the dog days of the sports calendar, so join us in taking a look back at the worst ceremonial first pitches in baseball history pic.twitter.com/U1V0JHB7fA

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 30, 2019

Coincidence? I think not!

Meanwhile, here’s a play so bad, I can’t believe someone besides the Pirates was guilty of it.

Watch what happened to the Diamondbacks once Marlins pitcher Caleb Smith bunted.

and y'all say 'Never Bunt' smh pic.twitter.com/vDCLsfcgXL

— Cut4 (@Cut4) July 30, 2019

That was Arizona pitcher Merrill Kelly throwing the ball away. Curtis Granderson and Harold Ramirez scored. The left fielder Tim Locastro couldn’t handle the throw at second base. And Smith wound up at third.

Maybe Engelberg put some chocolate on the ball.

To be honest, I think anyone who has managed to watch the Reds, Pirates, Diamondbacks or Marlins through July of this year deserves a chocolate treat of their own.