One Los Angeles Dodgers fan came fully prepared to catch an opposing home run during his team’s Sunday showdown against the San Diego Padres.
Padres slugger Manny Machado opened the top of the 4th by sending a 93-mph fastball into the left-center field stands at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. The solo shot gave the Padres a 1-0 lead.
Manny Machado goes YARD to give the @Padres the lead! #SundayNightBaseball pic.twitter.com/4g3SexxcSq
— MLB (@MLB) April 15, 2024
The Dodgers fan who caught Machado’s big fly did what local fans usually do after catching an opposing team’s home run — he threw it back. Except the baseball he threw back onto the field was actually a fake.
This Dodgers fan pulled the ole switcheroo and threw back a fake ball after he caught Manny Machado’s homer @StoolBaseball
pic.twitter.com/K65Aoc4YsX— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) April 15, 2024
The Dodgers fan named Renan pulled off a classic switcheroo after catching Machado’s homer. After securing the ball in his glove, Renan slyly took out another ball from his right pocket and threw that one back.
Dodgers fans
W or L move here? pic.twitter.com/uR4m0CVtrk
— Blake Harris (@BlakeHHarris) April 15, 2024
The ESPN broadcast interviewed Renan about his slick move a half-inning later.
“I got caught. But every ballhawk out here knows to come prepared for a reason like this,” said Renan. “A hated Padre hits a home run. You don’t throw it back, you’re going to get booed mercilessly by the Dodgers faithful.”
"I got caught, but every ballhawk knows to come prepared for a reason like this"
The Dodgers fan who threw back a fake home run ball knows he got caught pic.twitter.com/5Qq67nfWvH
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) April 15, 2024
Renan said that nobody in the crowd had initially noticed him make the switch. He would have been able to get away with the sleight of hand had it not been for the ESPN cameras.
Renan got off with a much less harrowing experience than the Dodgers fan who caught Shohei Ohtani’s first home run ball this season.
