Youngster catches 2 fouls in same inning at Trop, gets honor from Rays

May 30th, 2024

ST. PETERSBURG -- A young fan put together the defensive performance of the game at Tropicana Field on Wednesday night.

Sitting down the left-field line with a group of his friends, a young fan named Caleb caught not one, but two foul balls in the same inning during the Rays' 4-3 win over the A's.

Television cameras caught Caleb, decked out in a full Rays uniform with a glove on his left hand, snagging one foul ball off the bat of Oakland’s Abraham Toro in the top of the third inning. Then, in the bottom of the third, he snared another foul ball from Tampa Bay’s Ben Rortvedt. The future Gold Glove Award winner excitedly turned around to high-five his adoring fans.

Rays broadcaster Dewayne Staats caught on to Caleb’s defensive prowess and remarked, “How about that young guy right there? He’s had two souvenirs tonight.”

An inning later, Rays in-game host Nate Kurant caught up with Caleb for an interview on the ballpark scoreboard. Below his first name was an appropriate title: “Defensive Fan of the Game.”

It’s not quite the most remarkable foul ball achievement of the season, however, as a fan named Josh George caught two on consecutive pitches earlier this month in Seattle. Naturally, the next day, he threw out two first pitches at T-Mobile Park.