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Tommy Pham used his ingenuity (and his hat) to out-maneuver the sun

By now, the sun's ability to turn Major Leaguers into first-time Little Leaguers is well documented. Many, many have fallen helpless to its rays. Those who manage to prevail seem to do so by sheer luck rather than strategic maneuvering. 
Enter Cardinals center fielder Tommy Pham, who out-crafted the Safeco Field sun on Sunday using nothing more than his trusty cap.

With the Cardinals up by two runs in the bottom of the seventh and a runner on third, Chris Iannetta launched a ball deep to the warning track. Pham trailed back and, battling the sun, simply tried the nifty trick you see above. He made the catch, the inning ended, the Cardinals went on to win, 11-6, and, most importantly, the sun was conquered not through luck but with pure, human ingenuity. 
After the game, Pham revealed his inspiration: Self-preservation.
"Earlier this year in Triple-A, I actually had a ball hit me -- same exact play where I was going to my right in the sun," Pham told MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. "I didn't want that to happen again."
And while triumphing against the source of all life is no small feat, he's more focused on the small victories.
"[Adam Wainwright] said he hasn't seen that since high school. I'm glad I could impress Waino."

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