Oakland A’s outfielder Coco Crisp is a tremendous defender, but he had to go to great lengths to catch a routine pop-up yesterday:
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The sun was obviously brutal on that play, and it’s really incredible that Crisp made the catch when you watch it a few times. He’s tracking the ball, and then clearly loses it completely. He falls, and then sticks out his arm approximately where his brain tells him the ball might be going … and it drops into his glove!
Then, in checking his glove to see if the ball is in there – because, again, it’s not like he saw it – he actually almost drops the ball in his shock.
But that wasn’t the only incredible catch in the game. There was also one in foul territory along the first base line … from the Oakland A’s ballboy:
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That was well-tracked and well-timed, young man!
I think deciding whose catch is better is actually a tough proposition. On the one hand, Crisp’s catch was much less likely, but it was also a pretty routine play if not for the sun. On the other hand, the liner to the ballboy required a well-timed leap, even if it’s a catch most big leaguers would make. But he’s not a big leaguer.
I go with the ballboy’s catch. After all, Oakland A’s ballboys are no stranger to impressive plays.