Man vs Shark

Every year Discovery teases us of these heavyweight matches between human and shark.  

We've been teased with fights of Rhonda Rousey and a mako shark.  We've been teased with a swimming match between Michael Phelps and a Great White Shark.  Due to sharks not being trained domesticated animals, a lot of imagination and CGI has been used to simulate these feats.  

Last night was THE MATCHUP OF SHARK WEEK 2020!!! 

Mike Tyson would attempt to Knock Out a shark.  After training with Shark Week regular Paul de Gelder, Tyson swam with sharks in a cage then open water.  

It ended with Paul de Gelder, who has had his arm and leg bitten off by a bull shark and has prosthetic limbs, training Mike Tyson how to put a shark into a hypnosis state by turning the shark upside down and putting it into tonic immobility.

Tyson KO'd the Shark.

Did you know that there are a few shark inspired Minor League Baseball teams?

The Jupiter Hammerheads are a minor league A ball affiliate of the Florida/Miami Marlins.  Prior to 2002 they were affiliated with the Montreal Expos.

So how would Andrew McCutchen do facing a (former) shark?

Let's take a look at how Cutch has done in the largest sample size of Cutch vs former shark...

Jake Westbrook was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies, but was traded to the Montreal Expos in 1998.  

In 1998  went 11-6 with a 3.26ERA for the Jupiter Hammerheads.  

He eventually would get traded to the Yankees where he made his debut in 2000.  Westbrook didn't have great results in New York for his three games, but was part of the package sent to the Cleveland Indians for David Justice.

It was in Cleveland that the sinker ball pitcher took stage and would become an All-Star in 2004 and helped to lead the Indians pitching staff in the early 2000s.

Westbrook would later join tye St. Louis Cardinals where he won a World Series with them in 2011.

This 1999 Team Best ON CARD autograph of Westbrook is available if someone wants it.

Cutch has hit Westbrook at .357/.438/.429 clip over 28 at bats.  That's good for an OPS of .866.  He has struck out 5 times, but walked 4 times.  He has 2 RBI and 1 SB versus the former Hammerhead.