Fan plunges into McCovey Cove to retrieve Joe Panik home run

We know the San Francisco Giants have a wild, crazy and always passionate fanbase that will go to any lengths to prove its collective loyalty. However, one fan took his dedication to the next level entirely during Friday’s 15-2 win against the Philadelphia Phillies. 

With the Giants already up 11-2 in the seventh inning, Joe Panik turned on a pitch from Philadelphia’s Jeanmar Gomez and lined it into the right field seats at AT&T Park for his seventh home run of the season. 

It was a golden opportunity for a souvenir for the fans still in the ballpark, of which there were plenty. However, the ball managed to bounce free of the seats above the brick right-field wall and down to the concourse, where it bounced again into McCovey Cove.  

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It wasn’t a direct splash hit, as it’s known in San Francisco, but it seemed like all was lost for those on dry land. That was, until one brave fan said “to heck with this, I’m going in,” and then plunged into the waters below.

The mission to retrieve the baseball was a success. However, there was still the issue of getting the fan out of the water, which is something we’re not entirely sure the fan took into consideration before jumping. 

With no boats nearby to pull off the rescue, a lifesaver was sent down and the fan was pulled up to safety, where he no doubt received a mix of hero’s welcome and “dude, you’re crazy” from the gathered fans. 

It’s important to note that this is in no way an endorsement of the fan’s decision to leap into the water. The risks are too many to list, and we’re certain the Giants organization was holding its collective breath throughout.

Obviously, the rewards outweighed the risks for the fan. Again though, that’s assuming he weighed both in that second or two before jumping. But hey, if you can pull it off, more power to you. That’s a souvenir with a crazy backstory that will only get crazier with each retell. 

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813