For most, it is now nothing more than a fleeting memory. It occurred on June 3, 2013 during the major league debut of Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig. The oft-controversial (then) 22-year-old Cienfuegos, Cuba native made a catch at the wall off the bat of San Diego Padres slugger Kyle Blanks for the second out of the ninth inning and the Dodgers holding onto a precarious 2-1 lead.

To the absolute astonishment of everyone in attendance at Dodger Stadium that night – especially Chris Denorfia – Puig immediately unleashed an absolutely impossible throw to Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez to double up Padres right fielder Chris Denorfia before he could return to the bag to end the game. It affectionate became known as ‘The Throw.’

Move over, Yasiel Puig, there is a now ‘The Throw version 2.0.’

Even though it wasn’t a game-ender and occurred in the top of the seventh inning of what would end up being a 9-2 rout of the (wait for it) San Diego Padres, Dodgers rookie phenom Cody Bellinger – playing only his fourth game in center field – fielded a two-out line drive single up the middle off the bat of Padres right fielder Hunter Renfroe. As expected, former Dodgers manager and current Padres third base coach Glenn Hoffman waved the speedy Wil Myers (who had reached second base on a rare Corey Seager throwing error) home on the play. But as Myers was rounding third base, Bellinger scooped up the ball and fired an absolutely impossible laser shot to Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal – on the fly – to nail Myers at the plate to end the inning.

Bellinger fielded Renfroe’s single up the middle just as Wil Myers reached third base. As expected, Padres third base coach Glenn Hoffman waved him home.

After fielding Renfroe’s ball, Bellinger uncorked a throw to the plate that was calculated by Statcast at 98.9-mph.

Bellinger’s throw reached Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal on the fly and Grandal tagged out the sliding Myers on the back to end the inning. (Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA. Click on images to enlarge)

Even though Bellinger’s incredible throw (probably) didn’t factor into the Dodgers collecting their 101st win of the 2017 season that set a new Los Angeles Dodgers home record of 56-24, it was nonetheless sensational and all but guarantees that the 22-year-old Scottsdale, Arizona native will be the 2017 National League Rookie of the Year title.

But Belly’s remarkable throw on Tuesday night did something else – it reaffirmed something that many, perhaps even most Dodger fans may have not known about the 6′-4″ / 210-pound Dodgers 2013 fourth-round draft pick. In addition to being the Dodgers current (almost) everyday first baseman, Bellinger is also a plus plus center fielder. In fact (and yes, I’m bragging here), the very first time I laid eyes on Cody Bellinger was in early 2015 when he was the (almost) everyday center fielder for the Dodgers Advanced Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the highly competitive California League. Granted, it became very obvious very quickly that Bellinger was and is a true pure first baseman, but it was also very obvious very quickly that he could just as easily be a true pure outfielder – especially a center fielder.

“We saw that earlier in San Francisco but he’s just a special player,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Bellinger after the game. “You saw the strength, the arm strength, the accuracy. Regardless of where you put him on the field the arm plays up, the ability plays up. He went back on some balls tonight, looked comfortable and that was obviously a big play, a big play at home.”

On the other side of the ball, Bellinger didn’t have the kind of night he obviously hoped for, going 0-for-2 at the plate with two walks and a strikeout. But where Belly came up short on Tuesday night, Yasmani Grandal, Corey Seager and Adrian Gonzalez did not, with all three of them hitting home runs against the NL West fourth place Friars – Grandals and Seager’s with two men on base.

Grandal’s fifth-inning three-run blast turned a 2-1 Padres lead into a 4-2 Dodgers lead, from which they would build on into an eventual 9-2 Dodgers win. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

But in spite of the Dodgers power display and collecting nine runs on 11 hits, it’s hard to argue that Bellinger’s remarkable throw wasn’t the play of the game.

Good on you, Cody Bellinger, good on you.