Youngster catches 2 fouls in same inning at Trop, gets honor from Rays
ST. PETERSBURG -- A young fan put together the defensive performance of the game at Tropicana Field on Wednesday night.
Sitting down the left-field line with a group of his friends, a young fan named Caleb caught not one, but two foul balls in the same inning during the Rays' 4-3 win over the A's.
Television cameras caught Caleb, decked out in a full Rays uniform with a glove on his left hand, snagging one foul ball off the bat of Oakland¡¯s Abraham Toro in the top of the third inning. Then, in the bottom of the third, he snared another foul ball from Tampa Bay¡¯s Ben Rortvedt. The future Gold Glove Award winner excitedly turned around to high-five his adoring fans.
Rays broadcaster Dewayne Staats caught on to Caleb¡¯s defensive prowess and remarked, ¡°How about that young guy right there? He¡¯s had two souvenirs tonight.¡±
An inning later, Rays in-game host Nate Kurant caught up with Caleb for an interview on the ballpark scoreboard. Below his first name was an appropriate title: ¡°Defensive Fan of the Game.¡±
It¡¯s not quite the most remarkable foul ball achievement of the season, however, as a fan named Josh George caught two on consecutive pitches earlier this month in Seattle. Naturally, the next day, he threw out two first pitches at T-Mobile Park.