Cody Bellinger officially will make the first overall selection in the upcoming Los Angeles Dodgers fantasy football draft.
This year’s draft order again was determined by who could hit a golf ball closest to the pin placed in center field. A tee was set up at home plate, and Bellinger initially overshot his target by many yards.
Just when it looked like he would be picking toward the end of the first round, Bellinger’s ball ricocheted off the pavilion and rolled to within a foot of the pin.
An ecstatic Bellinger began running with his arms outstretched like an airplane before taking off his shirt and waving it around the infield grass.
Sunday morning vibes. Cody’s celebration😂⛳️ pic.twitter.com/yJSiSnSDQf
— Dieter Ruehle (@DieterRuehle) August 22, 2021
In solidifying the first overall selection, Bellinger has no shortage of intriguing players to choose from. The consensus top pick is Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey, though some experts have Dalvin Cook and Derrick Henry ahead of him.
When the Dodgers last held a fantasy football draft in 2019, Ross Stripling credited McCaffrey for helping him and Clayton Kershaw repeat as champions.
Roberts explains Bellinger’s failed stolen base attempt
Bellinger was the lone source of offense for the Dodgers in their 7-2 loss to the New York Mets on Sunday, but they potentially could have scored more if not for a costly stolen base attempt.
With runners on the corners and two outs in the fourth inning, Billy McKinney was ahead 2-1 in the count against Marcus Stroman when Bellinger broke for second base. Mets catcher Patrick Mazekia disregarded the potential for a double steal and threw down to Javier Baez.
It appeared likely Bellinger was going to be tagged out but he pulled up short and ultimately was caught in a rundown to end the inning. AJ Pollock, who never attempted to leave third base, declined to share specifics of the sequence or play call during his postgame interview.
“That was a miscommunication on my part,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the loss. “I felt Cody had a really good opportunity to steal a base right there, and he ended up thinking it was a steal and stop, versus the straight steal.
“I own that. That was miscommunication on my part.”
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