Home run balls at Dodger Stadium have been in the spotlight early this season, with the fan who caught Shohei Ohtani’s first for the Los Angeles Dodgers recently invited back to make amends for perceived hostility with the initial exchange.
There was no such drama for the Dodgers fan on Sunday night who caught Manny Machado’s home run in the fourth inning. Later admitting to being an experienced ballhawk, the fan initially appeared to throw Machado’s home run ball back onto the field.
The practice is common whenever catching the homer from an opposing player, particularly someone like Manny Machado, who has little support remaining amongst Dodgers fans.
However, the astute Sunday Night Baseball broadcast booth quickly realized the fan did not actually throw back Machado’s ball.
“Nobody in the stands called me out for the switcheroo,” the fan told ESPN reporter Buster Olney. “Everybody high-fived me and was happy I threw it back. The telecast seems to be the only people who caught it.”
Machado’s home run was his second of the series and he seemed to bask in the majestic shot. Dodgers fans showered boos on him throughout each of the three games.
Despite little love lost, the Dodgers fan who caught Machado’s home run intended to put it on display.
“I’m definitely going to keep it,” he said. “The wife won’t like it, because I try to collect baseballs a lot and I have too many as it is. But this one for sure’s going on the mantle.”
Manny Machado eats sunflower seeds before benches clear
Benches cleared during the fifth inning on Saturday night due to Jurickson Profar taking exception to an inside pitch from Gavin Stone, which in turn prompted Will Smith to defend his teammate.
Machado was part of a viral moment for that as well due to taking a handful of sunflower feeds before jogging out toward home plate with his other Padres teammates.
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