Fansided

Former MLB pitcher Kyle Farnsworth is semi-pro football star

By Connor Muldowney

Apr 16, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kyle Farnsworth against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; New York Mets pitcher Kyle Farnsworth against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Kyle Farnsworth was always known as one of the more fiery pitchers in Major League Baseball, and now he is taking his anger out as a semi-pro football star.

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Watching Kyle Farnsworth play baseball was always a treat for fans. The fiery ball-player could throw the heater right by opponents and seconds later he could be at someone’s neck after they try to charge the mound.

If there was one guy in baseball that you just didn’t mess with on the mound, it was Farnsworth. It seemed like he was always ready to go out and tackle someone, if it came down to it. There was no let-up in the way he played the game.

Heck, it almost seemed like he was a bit of a football player on the diamond.

Now, he’s an actual football player for the semi-pro Orlando Phantoms and he’s killing it. Yes, the 39-year-old righty is absolutely tearing up the football field now that his professional baseball career is over.

It’s almost hard to believe that after a 16-year career that finished just last season, Farnsworth would want to try his luck in a different sport, but that’s the kind of guy he is. He seems like he’s never content with not being active and that shows now that he’s looking like a regular J.J. Watt on semi-professional fields.

The highlight tape is pretty impressive and you and I are probably both thinking the same thing: how is a 39-year-old retired pitcher so good at football? Farnsworth is defying the odds of nature by being so quick to the quarterback and so physical at his age.

Some actual football players in the NFL can’t even move like that at the age of 30.

How good is he, though? Well, according to the Florida Football Alliance official website, he’s 10th in the league in tackles with 41 and second in sacks with 11. Those are quite the solid numbers for a defensive end at any level.

Sure, it’s only a semi-professional league in Florida, but the pitcher hung up his mitt just last year and decided ‘hey, I’m going to play football now.’

Clearly he’s one heck of an athlete if he can transition from one sport to another at his age and absolutely excel at it.

While we are sad to see the former fire-baller out of the big leagues, it’s refreshing to know that he’s doing something he loves — hitting people.

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