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There are a number of MLB venues where fans who catch a home run ball hit by the opposing team are essentially required to throw it back onto the field on principle. That includes Yankee Stadium, which was the site of an impressive heave when the home squad faced off against the Red Sox on Sunday.
Rookie of the Year isn’t a cinematic classic by any means, but I feel like a solid chunk of people who grew up in the 1990s are familiar with the movie that revolves around Henry Rowengartner, a 12-year-old who gets the chance to pitch for the Chicago Cubs after a broken arm leaves him with almost superhuman throwing abilities.
As is the case at Yankee Stadium, the bleacher creatures at Wrigley Field are fairly militant when it comes to ensuring any home run ball that’s deposited into the outfield stands is promptly returned to the confines of the diamond, and Rowengartner lands his golden opportunity after throwing an absolute dart that lands in the catcher’s mitt on the fly.
Now, I fully admit the throw we were treated to on Sunday doesn’t come close to rivaling that one, but you still have to give credit where credit is due to a guy who still showed off a pretty powerful arm.
The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox were knotted at zero in the top of the seventh when Rafael Devers broke the deadlock with the first of the two solo home runs he hit during his team’s 3-0 win with a 373-yard shot to left field.
The ball eventually ended up in the hands of a Yankees fan named Lou Valentino, who reared back for an impressive toss that landed near the edge of the infield before rolling all the way to the pitcher’s mound.
Yankees fan throws Rafael Devers HR ball back in and rolls it perfectly back to the mound pic.twitter.com/aohsyCxuAi
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) July 8, 2024
Valentino said he hadn’t played baseball in close to a decade when he reacted to his viral fame after the clip started to make the rounds, and while he might not end up landing a spot on the roster because of the throw, it’s still a great story he’ll be able to brag about for the rest of his life.