Well, it appears we have a young Steve Bartman in the making. A young Los Angeles Dodgers fan cleanly fielded a ball that was in play in their Wednesday night showdown against the Oakland Athletics, and his reaction to doing it was priceless.
The "incident" occurred in the third inning as Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman hit a ball deep into right field off Athletics starter Hogan Harris. The ball took just a single bounce before the warning track and was headed to the wall.
But instead of the ball bouncing off the wall for Athletics right fielder Ramón Laureano to track, the young Dodgers fan reached over the wall and snagged it. His reaction was classic.
*Record Scratch* *Freeze Frame*
Yep, that's me - you?re probably wondering how I got here. pic.twitter.com/Qmf4uxHmra
— Cut4 (@Cut4) August 3, 2023
So, a few things are here.
First, what a snag by the youngster. He's probably, like, 10-12 years old?
Second, his reaction was priceless. He knew immediately that it was still in the field of play, and he just froze. It was an excellent play by him, and he knew the rules, too. A nice bonus there.
Due to fan interference, Freeman was awarded second base — which, considering the kid is a Dodgers fan, is a win, too. Sure, Freeman likely would've had a double anyway, but to get a guaranteed one is a different story.
Freeman finished the game 3-for-4 with two doubles. And, no, the other double wasn't interference; it was more "legitimate."
Don't beat yourself up, kid — it was a fantastic play.
MORE: Steve Bartman's Life Changed Forever 19 Years Ago, But Where Is He Now?
