The master of shoving balls in his mouth.

Much like the Yankees majestically carving a swath through Major League Baseball’s postseason, there was only one man who ever really, truly stood a shot at taking down the Martorano’s Masters of Meatball Eating Championship yesterday afternoon at the Rio. Other than us, we mean, because we totally would have smoked that thing.

Joey Chestnut put away 50 meatballs in 10 minutes — clocking in at 6.25 pounds for a record-setting performance. For consuming the weight in meatballs of a smallish housecat, Chestnut picked up $1,500. Pat Bertoletti could only muster 49 meatballs, good for $750. Sonya Thomas took third at 42, and the 105-pounder got paid $500 for adding almost five percent to her body weight. In meatballs.

Rookie Ben Morrison finished 38 for fourth and $250 while Henderson native Rich LeFevre came out of retirement to put away 33. Angelica Bridges of Fantasy took a whack at it and got down 10. That’s a lousy pound and change. Looks like someone is going to have to spend the offseason practicing.

By Jason Scavone

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