Houston Astros Fan Catches Two Home Run Balls, Fan Replicates Feat
Every fan attending a major league baseball game dreams of catching a home run ball, but for a fan to catch two in a game is quite a special occurrence.
The most notable of these occasions was when Houston Astros fan 25-year-old Shaun Dean caught two home run balls in an epic postseason game in 2006 that lasted 18 innings.
Dean caught the first one when the Astros Lance Berkman hit a grand slam. The second one came off the bat off another Astros player, Chris Burke.
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After the game, Dean told reporters how he felt after pulling off one of the rarest feats in sports to be completed by a fan.
Dean simply stated that he "never caught one in a game before … It came right at me. I just reached over and caught it," Dean told The Houston Chronicle.
But as rare as that feat was, it was not the only time that it has happened. Last Monday, during a game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Atlanta Braves, another fan was in the right place at the right time to pluck two home run balls for himself.
Caleb Lloyd, a 20-year-old college student, was able to catch back-to-back home run balls from the Reds and secure a place in baseball lore.
Lloyd was in the left field stands this past Monday night when Reds pitcher Mike Leake hit a shot which was then followed by Reds shortstop Zack Cozart. Both balls made their way to Lloyd who caught the first one barehanded.
"The first one I actually barehanded … It hit my hand and I didn't expect to actually catch it ... it hurt really bad," Lloyd told Cincinatti.com.
"But the second one bounced behind me and then it bounced into my lap," Lloyd continued. "My buddy's like, 'You caught a second one!' I was like, 'Oh my gosh, this is crazy.'"
Afterwards, Lloyd was the ultimate fan. He gave the first home run ball back to Leake because it was his first career home run and the other one he gave to his friend who brought him the game.
