What do Mike Trout and Mookie Betts have in common—besides being elite MLB stars hailing from Southern California? Apparently, they’ve both had foul balls snatched out of their gloves by overzealous fans!
Trout’s moment came Saturday against the Astros, eerily echoing Betts’ unforgettable foul-ball snag attempt in Game 4 of the 2024 World Series. That time, two Yankees fans infamously yanked the ball right out of Betts’ glove, making for a viral highlight and a hotly debated call. Fast forward to Trout’s moment—same kind of drama, different stadium.
The fan involved in yesterday’s Angels-Astros game has now shared his perspective on the incident.
It all unfolded in the second inning of the Angels’ 4–1 win over the Astros. Yainer Diaz hit a fly ball down the right-field line, and Trout sprinted into the corner, leaped, and reached into the crowd with his left hand. He appeared to make the catch cleanly—his glove closed around the ball near the wall in foul territory down the first-base line. But just a heartbeat later, an Astros fan reached in and pulled the ball away from Trout’s glove.
First-base umpire Alan Porter quickly stepped in and ruled no fan interference, allowing the play to stand.
“I just didn’t know what was going on,” the Astros fan, Jared Whalen, told the Athletic. “I didn’t realize it was a play, it was coming at my son’s face. I just reached out.”
(Keep an eye on this space for further details.)
The post Ejected Astros Fan Explains Why He Snatched Ball Out of Mike Trout’s Gloves After Highlight-Reel Catch appeared first on EssentiallySports.