Cincinnati Reds rookie TJ Friedl got his first Major League hit on Sunday by homering in his second ever at-bat, and the 26-year-old outfielder got to keep the ball as a memento thanks to the kindness of one fan and the quick thinking of Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts.
Appearing in just his second game ever on Sunday in Cincinnati, Friedl was called in to pinch hit in the sixth inning against the Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin. The Pennsylvania native quickly capitalized on his opportunity by hitting a first-pitch fastball 385 feet into the right field bleachers, where it was caught by a man later identified as Portsmouth, Ohio's Michael Diddle.
Realizing the significance of the situation, Betts immediately called for Diddle to throw the ball back in play so he could return it to the Reds dugout for safekeeping.
Cincinnati Reds rookie TJ Friedl got his first Major League hit on Sunday by homering in his second ever at-bat, and the 26-year-old outfielder got to keep the ball as a memento thanks to the kindness of one fan and the quick thinking of Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts. Appearing in just his second game ever on Sunday in Cincinnati, Friedl was called in to pinch hit in the sixth inning against the Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin. The Pennsylvania native quickly capitalized on his opportunity by hitting a first-pitch fastball 385 feet into the right field bleachers, where it was caught by a man later identified as Michael Diddle (far right)
Betts is seen giving Diddle an autographed bat for rookie TJ Friedl's first home run ball
For Friedl (far right), the excitement of his first home run on Sunday was only amplified by the gesture from Betts (left), who is already established as one of the premiere talents in baseball
To his credit, the fan obliged without hesitation, and did so without making any subsequent demands for the souvenir.
'I just asked him for the ball,' Betts said after the Dodgers' 8-5 win, as quoted by The Cincinnati Enquirer. 'It was kind of sign language. I said ''I'll throw you another ball, but that's his first home run, can you throw it back?''
'He didn't hesitate. He threw it right
