You'd think that a professional athlete of any stripe would go mark out 60 feet 6 inches in the luxurious back yard and throw a few to make sure it got there. Jesus. Maybe he just choked, I don't know.
Is it better to bounce it in than to sail it over the catcher's head? Both are bad. Certainly given the chance I'd take a couple dozen practice throws first, or at least I'd plan too before running out of time.