A lucky bounce off the stands turned a wild Andrelton Simmons throw into a wilder 6-3 putout
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Defensively, first basemen have to be alert at all times. If you think about it, they sometimes catch throws from defenders from all over the diamond -- so paying attention is key.
Angels first baseman C.J. Cron was definitely paying attention in the fourth inning of Sunday's regular season-finale with the Mariners at Angel Stadium, after Ben Gamel hit a ball in the hole. Andrelton Simmons ranged over, picked up the ball and fired a strike across his body to Cron.
After the ball bounced past Cron, Gamel briefly considered heading to second -- but changed his mind. Maybe he should have tried, though, considering the ball miraculously bounced off a wall and right back to Cron, who was gifted with a lucky 6-3 putout:
That's some good luck right there.