A's ballboy goes all-out in diving attempt to save team's bullpen
The Oakland Athletics may have come up short during Monday’s 10-7 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, but you couldn’t question their effort. The team battled back despite an early deficit, but could never quite close the gap.
That resolve extended far beyond the club’s 40-man roster. Even the team’s ballboy was going all-out in order to try and save the club.
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In the top of the sixth inning, Angels third baseman Jefry Marte slapped a hard line drive foul down the third base line. The ball was heading straight for the Athletics’ bullpen dugout area, putting the club’s players in peril.
Noticing this, the team’s ballboy sprung into action. Though he was initially standing in front of the bullpen dugout, he sprinted full-bore toward the screaming shot. The ball bounced once, but kept coming quickly. Just as the ball hit the ground a second time, the A’s ballboy laid out to try and make the catch.
He was … unsuccessful. The ball hopped just barely over his outstretched glove, even tipping his fingers. It ricocheted off the bullpen wall in between two relievers, eventually hitting one unfortunate A’s player in the back of the neck.
That player turned out to be OK … at least we think. He jokingly (again, we think) threw down his towel and stared at the ballboy for a second after the play had ended.
While the results didn’t go his way, we applaud the A’s ballboy here. He did everything he could to try and make the play, and showed tremendous effort. There’s no reason to hang your head after that showing. You gave 100 percent, and that’s all that matters.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
