This story was excerpted from Sonja Chen’s Dodgers Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
When the Dodgers returned to Toronto for a World Series rematch earlier this month, Will Klein pitched two scoreless innings at Rogers Centre -- and ripped some packs of Pokémon cards on the field in a video that got its fair share of attention on social media.
Not long after, 44 Pro, the company from whom he's gotten his gloves throughout his professional career, reached out to ask Klein which Pokémon was his favorite. Klein answered them, but had no idea that he would be receiving a custom glove with a sleeved Tyranitar card over the webbing.
"I was like, 'Oh my God, this is the craziest, coolest thing I've ever seen,'" Klein said.
Klein was a big Pokémon fan growing up, and he's gotten back into collecting cards with his wife, Carson, in recent years. He likes stopping by card shops when he has time on the road and going to card shows in the offseason as he expands his collection.
Many have wondered whether Klein will use the Pokémon glove in a game. Not only is he unsure if it's game-legal, but he's concerned that using the glove might damage the card. So instead, he's finding the right place for his custom glove, deciding whether it makes more sense to display it alongside his baseball memorabilia or his card collection.
"I have no idea yet," he said. "It's kind of the best of both worlds."