Bobblehead honors Upton's broken-bat HR
Bobblehead honors Upton's broken-bat HR
On Sept. 19 of last season, the D-backs won a 1-0 game over the Pirates to reduce their magic number to four as Ian Kennedy earned his 20th victory of the season.
The sole run of the game came courtesy of an Upton broken-bat homer into the first row of the left-field bleachers for his 31st long ball of the year.
Upton drove a 3-0 fastball and his bat broke down near the handle. The MVP candidate was left holding the handle while the rest of it landed out near third base.
"I knew I had barreled the ball up," Upton said after the game. "I guess I hit it on the wrong part of the bat or the wrong side of the bat, I don't know what it was. I don't know if it was cracked before or whatnot. I have no clue how it happened to be honest with you. The ball just carried."
Ten months later, that moment took the form of a giveaway, as 20,000 fans at Chase Field walked away with a Justin Upton Broken Bat Home Run Bobblehead courtesy of Pepsi on Saturday.
"It's a cool concept the team came up with and it's exciting," Upton said. "It's not my best look out there, but it's cool."
With 98 other Major League home runs to his name entering Saturday, Upton still recalls that specific blast as one of his favorites.
"I would think so, just because it got Ian a big win and it was down the stretch," Upton said. "It makes it kind of a cool home run to remember."
The 24-year-old will keep a few of the bobbleheads for himself to give away to friends and family.
"If people ask for them, they get them," he said. "I usually get quite a few of them, so I usually give them to whoever wants them."