As a fan of the Chicago White Sox, I’m not surprised that the Chicago Cubs would get their most publicity from a fan catching a foul ball.
A few days ago (as you might have seen on social media) a fan caught a foul ball while holding a baby who was drinking from a bottle. It is a remarkable, skillful, well-coordinated catch. And it has generated lots of comments:
- What a great dad!
- The baby didn’t miss a drop of his bottle!
- That guy could be playing baseball!
- Talk about staying calm in a difficult situation!
OK…I don’t know the guy and, generally speaking, he may be super dad. But it isn’t how this dad would have played the ball.
If I were holding a baby and a foul ball were headed my way, I would turn my back to the ball and shield the child with my body. I wouldn’t risk misjudging the ball and it hitting the baby. I would make sure that if the ball hit someone, it would be me.
This little incident makes a cute story. I expect it will be shown again and again and family gatherings. When the baby grows up he’ll probably tell his friends, “I was the baby when the guy – my dad – made that great catch.”
My priority would be protecting the child, not getting a foul ball. I’m just glad the baseball didn’t smash the kid in the head.
