The magic of Bullpen Cop helped Mookie Betts finally conquer Fenway's right-field wall
Betts scales wall for catch as Bullpen Cop looks on
Back in July, Red Sox center fielder and enemy of Rubik's Cubes everywhere Mookie Betts looked to have made a remarkable running catch, only to be tragically foiled by the low right-field wall at Fenway Park:
But Mookie Betts is less man than superhero carefully disguised as man, and like any superhero worth his cape, he wasn't about to let his nemesis have the last word. Instead, he apparently spent months in a cave training with the Ra's al Ghul of home run robbing -- and with the Red Sox just one out away from a win over the Orioles on Friday, he got his shot at redemption:
Flip me over once, shame on you; flip me over twice, I'll just defy gravity, thanks. Such remarkable disrespect for the laws of physics requires a second look:
Wow, what a crazy -- wait a minute. What's that to the right? The uniform, the arms raised the facial hair ... could it be? Is it the glorious return of "Bullpen Cop," the October folk hero who symbolized the exuberance of Red Sox Nation back in 2013?
This requires some further investigation. Let's go to the visual evidence. On the left, you'll find Betts' catch from Friday night, and on the right, a photo from David Ortiz's iconic grand slam during the 2013 ALCS:
It's him, it's really him! Wherever there are outfielders flipping into the Red Sox's bullpen, Bullpen Cop will be there. Wherever there are home run robberies, attempted or otherwise, Bullpen Cop will be there. Wherever Boston fans are rejoicing, Bullpen Cop will be there and/or responsible for said rejoicing. Bless you, sir, your arms lift the spirits of a nation.