Alex Avila uses netting as a trampoline to make great catch

There was a brief period of time while growing up in which I was happy: Namely, the six months in which I owned a trampoline. I mean, sure, my dog was nice and my friend Sean would indulge me in marathon wiffle ball games, but let's be honest -- that trampoline was my best friend. Until one day the insurance agent called my parents and told them the joy-giving device, the one that could really make a boy believe he could really fly, was actually a deathtrap. 

So it is with great envy and a little sadness that I watched Deteroit Tigers catcher Alex Avila leap into the netting to make a catch. Because he doesn't just catch the ball, but he gets to experience, however briefly, the sense of flight, that feeling of weightlessness before the world dragged him back down to the ground. 

So enjoy it, Alex. And only hope that an insurance agent doesn't force the Tigers to put a "No jumping on the netting" sign up for tomorrow's game.