San Diego Padres starter Joe Musgrove had a season to remember this year in MLB.
He had a 2.93 ERA in 181 frames with the Padres, perhaps the best year of his career.
He also helped take his Padres to the National League Championship Series, the step before the World Series.
As it turns out, the offseason is shaping up to be just as memorable as his campaign, if not better.
As a way to celebrate his 30th birthday, Musgrove went to the coldest place on planet Earth: Antarctica.
The idea was born on a fishing trip on an off day.
He is now poised to become the owner of a world record, having thrown the fastest pitch on the world’s coldest continent.
It was an 86-mph fastball, and of course, here is the clip.
Joe Musgrove is now poised to become a world record holder!
He threw the fastest pitch on the coldest continent on Earth, an 86-mph fastball in Antarctica. pic.twitter.com/9wJ5kmJU3j
— MLB (@MLB) December 6, 2022
A Noble Cause And A Cool Achievement
He did have fun doing it, but the main objective was raising funds and awareness for the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF).
MLB published a story on his trip, the journey, and the cool accomplishment.
“This trip exceeded every expectation I had, man. There’s so many moments throughout this trip that I’ll never forget, and the group of people that we came with couldn’t have been a better collection of people. I’m just very, very grateful that I was given the opportunity to come on this trip and to try to make a little bit of an impact,” he stated.
The pitcher and polar exploration guide Neill Drake spent five months applying for permits to throw a pitch on Antarctica, so yes: there was some planning, paperwork, and effort.
It was the experience of a lifetime, one he won’t ever forget.