Todd Frazier Loses Bat Swinging, Hits 'No-Handed' Home Run
A Major League Baseball rookie hit a home run on Sunday that would have just been another regular homer if not for the fact that the bat actually came of his hands before he made contact with the baseball.
The Cincinnati Reds rookie third baseman Todd Frazier gave fans a show after he hit a home run just over the left field wall after the bat slipped out of his hands during the Reds 7-5 win over the Colorado Rockies.
Frazier was up to bat in the fourth inning when he stepped into the batter's box against baseball's ageless wonder Jaime Moyer, who at 49, is the oldest pitcher in MLB history to win a game.
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The video of the incident shows that as Frazier swings at the pitch his hands are seen slipping off the bat before the ball is hit. Moyer, fearing a broken bat was headed his way, jumped off the mound. The bat was not broken and the ball would not stay in the park.
During an interview after the game Frazier was impressed with his "no-handed" home run.
''I felt the bat slipping out of my hands,'' Frazier said. ''I looked at the (slow motion) and it looks like my bottom hand is off. At first, I thought it was a short popup, but then I took a couple of steps and said, 'Oh.' It's a pretty interesting way to hit a home run. It was a pretty cool.''
While hitting a home run "hands-free" is a special event, catching a home run ball in a game can be just as special. For a few fans catching two home runs in a single game is the stuff of legends.
During a game between the Cincinnati Reds and the Atlanta Braves back on May 21, a 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 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.
