The 2014 Fan Catch Hall of Fame
Enshrined in these halls are the very best fan catches from the 2014 baseball season. This is not the Hall of Very Good Fan Catches -- these are the top of the top.
Each month of the season, the Cut4 staff inducts roughly three new members to Catcherstown. In addition to choosing the new honorees, the staff votes to determine which catch truly stands above all others.
And now, the 2014 Fan Catch Hall of Fame -- as it stands in September:
No. 1 -- Nonchalant Dad
(Class of June)
How did he celebrate the catch? Did he jump up and down, collecting high fives? Did he accidentally spike the baby a la Naked Gun 33 1/3? Nope, he played it cool as if catching home run balls while carrying a child was no more exciting than his morning cup of coffee.
No. 2 -- Popcorn Pirate
(Inducted with The First Class)
This particular fan left his glove at home and opted instead to use his popcorn bucket as a baseball receptacle ... But hey -- would you rather have a bucket of popcorn or fan-catch immortality?
No. 3 -- Beer Bro
(Class of August)
A fan stood from his seat and grabbed a ball of the bat of Jose Bautista with one hand while holding a beer in the other. Before he even sits down, he reaches two rows in front of him to gift the ball to a young Red Sox fan. That's text-book foul ball game right there, folks.
No. 4 (tied) -- D-backs Fan, PhD.
(Class of August)
A sense of timing, skill and patience have to all be taken into consideration when dealing with the carom, and this kid during Sunday's Rockies-D-backs game showed he's got what it takes.
No. 4 (tied) -- Agile Rangers Fan
(Class of July)
"Be not afraid of greatness," [Shakespeare] writes. "Some achieve greatness," (Barehanded greatness! Left-handed greatness!):
No. 6 -- Sneaky Cubs Fan
(Class of July)
If you look closely, you'll see the fan swap out the ball for another one in his pocket before launching it toward the diamond. Very, very sneaky.
No. 7 (tie) -- Angels Kid
(Inducted with The First Class)
We'd say the Angels should get the kid a contract, but we think that they might be set with Mike Trout patrolling pretty much the whole outfield for them.
No. 7 (tie) -- Beer Enthusiast
(Class of May)
Yesterday's bright spot, though, came when a hooded Sox fan holding his cell phone and a beverage in one hand used the other to snag a Jose Molina foul ball in the third frame of the first game. And you'll be entirely unsurprised to notice that this man sports a beard.
No. 9 -- Backpedaler
(Class of June)
This fan at Thursday's Royals-Tigers game may not have caught Mike Moustakas' foul ball on the fly, but he did play it perfectly off a Comerica Park facing ... while backpedaling down some stadium steps ... and leaping high into the air ... and sacrificing some BUTTERY GOODNESS:
No. 10 (tied) -- Whalers Guy
(Class of May)
So smooth, bro. Now go finish eating your food. Also, go Whalers.
No. 10 (tied) -- High Fiver
(Class of August)
Moments before the catch, he asked a friend to borrow his glove, saying, "The next pitch, I bet I'll catch a fly ball, a foul ball. And then the next pitch, I caught it."
No. 12 -- Passionate Fan
(Class of June)
Now, I'm no lip reader, but I'm pretty sure he's saying:
"WHOOOO! I caught the ball. This is the ball I caught! And I am finally happy and fulfilled with my life because of this ball. All the stresses of work and home life have disappeared. The sleepless nights spent questioning the purpose of existence have melted away. And it's all thanks to this baseball. Goodbye!"
"WHOOOO! I caught the ball. This is the ball I caught! And I am finally happy and fulfilled with my life because of this ball. All the stresses of work and home life have disappeared. The sleepless nights spent questioning the purpose of existence have melted away. And it's all thanks to this baseball. Goodbye!"
No. 13 -- 'N Sync Fan
(Class of May)
Is that?
Yes - with perhaps a bit of "Oooh Kill 'Em" mixed in. "Oooh Kill Em" should always be mixed in.
Yes - with perhaps a bit of "Oooh Kill 'Em" mixed in. "Oooh Kill Em" should always be mixed in.
No. 14 -- Tarp Diver
(Inducted with The First Class)
It can be pretty thrilling to make a leaping catch over the PNC Park tarp, sure, but the reality is that you will probably be asked to leave the ballpark in such an event. Fans typically aren't allowed on the field -- even if they're showcasing Gold Glove-caliber defense.
No. 15 -- Ball Bro
(Class of July)
You know what's worse than dropping a foul ball? Dropping a foul ball and having it fall right into somebody else's hands.
