Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts is not only a star baseball player, and not only a stud bowler, but he’s also a great dude.
Get this: in the middle of a game in Cincinnati, Betts realized that Reds outfielder T.J. Friedl had just knocked his first big league hit into the stands. Normally, that first hit baseball is in play, and is easily collected by the player’s team. But if it’s a homer, a fan is out there in the stands with the ball, and you might not see it again. So Mookie acted quickly:
Bigger than baseball.
Respect, @mookiebetts. 👏 pic.twitter.com/3q34zdzJxE
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 19, 2021
Needless to say, Friedl was overwhelmed by Betts’ gesture:
Betts explained after the game (MLB.com):
“I was going to throw him a ball, but I just thought about the bat instead. It’s something he can remember forever. Those type of interactions are kind of everlasting. I think one of the last times I talked to [NBA legend] Kobe [Bryant], he reminded me that by the time the game’s over and you leave, somebody knows who you are, somebody recognizes you. It’s just another way for somebody to impact somebody’s life. I wasn’t really doing it for the cameras. I was doing it because he immediately threw the ball back and didn’t even ask.”
Mookie Betts: great dude all around.