What are the odds of this? Witt Jr. hits foul ball to Witt Sr.
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Bobby Witt Sr. enjoyed a productive 16-year career as a Major League pitcher, but he never once got to participate in a certain baseball rite of passage: catching a foul ball as a fan in the stands.
That changed Tuesday night, when Witt wound up with a foul ball during the Royals-Rangers game at Globe Life Field. But it was no ordinary snag.
Witt’s first foul ball? It was from his son, Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. During the ninth inning Tuesday, Witt Jr. sliced a ball down the first-base line. It bounded into a suite, right to -- who else -- his father.
It was just one special moment in a standout series for Witt Jr., a Colleyville, Texas, native facing the team his father played for from 1986-92 and 1995-98. The Royals shortstop went 6-for-13 in the three-game series, scoring three runs and driving in two more. He stole four bases in the series and made an impressive sliding grab to save a run in extra innings Tuesday night.
Witt Jr.’s performance close to home won’t be forgotten by his family, but they’ll never forget how his foul ball ended up in the hands of his father either. After the game, Witt Jr. wrote the date on the baseball along with a special message: “Hit by Bobby Witt Jr. Caught by Bobby Witt Sr.”
The words commemorate an unforgettable moment for father and son.
“Just a really cool thing,” Witt Jr. said.