“Act like you’ve been there before.” The Los Angeles Dodgers batboy took that phrase to heart Wednesday night.
With the Dodgers batting against the Chicago White Sox, Shohei Ohtani was seen in the dugout preparing to go out to the on-deck circle occupied by catcher Austin Barnes.
Suddenly, a liner off the bat of Kike Hernández was sent screaming in the direction of the team dugout. More specifically, it went flying directly towards Ohtani’s head. That’s a very expensive head, by the way.
The two-time American League MVP who just joined the Dodgers this season tried diving out of the way. As did several others in the dugout. Bodies flew in a panic.
That’s when a hero answered the call. Number 94 reached out with his bare hands and snagged the liner. Picked it clean.
Without flinching. Without batting an eye. Like he knew it was coming all along.
While others stood in awe of what just happened, the batboy simply handed the ball off to somebody and turned back to watch the game.
He nodded several times as if to say, ‘Yea, that’s right. I did that.’
Like he’d been there before.
#Dodgers bat boy Javier saved Ohtani! 😳
— Dodger Blue (@DodgerBlue1958) June 27, 2024
(🎥: @Showy___17) pic.twitter.com/KP5I4452c9
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Dodgers Bat Boy Saves Teams $700 Million Investment
Ohtani signed a record-breaking $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2023. Hernández must have seen his life flash before his eyes as that ball headed directly toward one of the team’s biggest free-agent signings – ever.
You have to watch that video about a dozen times to catch everything going on with the Dodgers batboy’s incredible play. If not you’ll miss:
- At least four people standing to start.
- Only one still standing when the ball arrives.
- This dude’s face after what he just saw:
- The huge $700 million smile on Ohtani’s face as he turns back to the Dodgers bat boy.
- Manager Dave Roberts applauding the play.
- This dude’s face (still, after seven seconds).
- Barnes being completely unimpressed with the whole thing and continuing his practice swings.
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Who Is This Hero?
At the time of publication, the identity of the Dodgers batboy has not been revealed. Though the Kansas City Star points out that with Los Angeles playing on the road, there is a strong possibility he is a local resident from Chicago.
Whoever he is, the team must be incredibly grateful that he saved Shohei Ohtani from a potentially significant injury. They already have potential MVP candidate Mookie Betts on the injured list, expected to miss 6-8 weeks.
Ohtani has been carrying them since Betts was sidelined. It would have been a devastating blow. In the same game, Ohtani hit his 8th homerun in 10 games and extended his current RBI streak to a franchise-record 10 games.
If the Dodgers make a deep run to the World Series though, this bat boy might just prove to be their MVP.
If Joe Kelly’s wife got a Porsche, who knows what Ohtani might send to this guy’s house?
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