Brewers catcher literally knocks the cover off the ball

It’s a fantasy of nearly anyone who’s picked up a baseball bat to hit a ball so hard that it comes unraveled at its seams as it soars over the fence.

Well, Milwaukee Brewers catcher Martin Maldonado lived that fantasy on Friday — at least part of it.

Maldonado got the knocking-the-cover-off part down, but it came on a pretty ordinary grounder to third base. Then Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez went to turn a potential inning-ending double play.

But Alvarez realized something was wrong when he went to grip the ball, then sent a fluttering throw toward first base that Maldonado beat out.

Hey, there’s worse things than only living out half of a childhood fantasy while playing in the major leagues, right?

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