Fan catches homer not with a glove, but with an open backpack

Your chances of catching a home run ball are pretty small in your every day life. And even though your chances of catching one are greater when you’re actually at a baseball game, not everyone comes prepared. Some fans bring gloves, but others are forced to catch homers with cups or cartons of nachos. One fan had none of those things during Sunday’s game between the Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres, but when a home run ball came his way he found an elegant solution.

Nationals center fielder Michael Taylor was leading off the game on Sunday, and facing Padres starter Drew Pomeranz. Pomeranz threw only one pitch to Taylor, who reared back, swung the bat, and sent the ball over the wall in left field and into the stands for a lead-off home run. Four rows back was a fan without a glove or even a plastic cup, and the ball was headed straight for him. 

So he did the only thing he could. He reached down and pulled up his open backpack. As he lifted the backpack off the ground, the ball missed the hand of a fan seated a few rows in front of him, and it landed neatly in the unzipped pouch. 

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Considering how easy it is to drop a home run ball, maybe this is how fans should consider catching them from now on. After it lands, all you have to do is zip up your bag and you’re ready to go. It’s so easy! Everyone should remember this moment, because it could be the first step in the evolution of fan catches. 

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Liz Roscher is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at [email protected] or follow her on twitter! Follow @lizroscher