Los Angeles Dodgers: Fan catches home runs at both parks in NLCS
Keith Hupp, a lifelong Los Angeles Dodgers fan, has made postseason history, but not for the reasons you might believe.
Being in the right place at the right time can pay off. Just ask Keith Hupp, a retired police officer turned online sensation, after catching two home run balls – one at Dodger Stadium and the other at the friendly confines of Wrigley Field during the National League Championship Series. Justin Turner‘s walk-off home run for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 2 landed in the hands of Hupp, an exciting moment for the fan of the boys in blue.
Hupp wasn’t done yet, as he snagged the home run by Javier Baez in Game 4 of the NLCS, his second home run ball of the series and 11th overall of the 2017 season. The former man of the law described this “once” in a lifetime moment, per ESPN.com:
“I might have actually cracked a rib. I’m a little sore today and it was hurting last night but I held on tight. I was just the first one to pounce on it. There was nothing to it”.
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Talk about a man’s game “performance” to say the least, sacrificing his body in the process. Of the 11 baseballs Hupp snagged over the course of the season, several were off the bat of Rookie of the Year front-runner Cody Bellinger, who graciously signed a few baseballs, a jersey and a bat for Hupp returning the home run balls back to their rightful owner. If Javier Baez of the Cubs wants his home run ball, Hupp said he would return the item with no questions asked.
“I don’t think Javy has any interest in getting it back after hitting two, but maybe I can get him to sign it.”
Next: St. Louis Cardinals: 2017 Season Review
“I’ve been waiting for the Dodgers to get back to the World Series for 29 years.”
The wait is over for you Mr. Hupp, with your Los Angeles Dodgers finally getting over the hump, making their first World Series appearance since 1988.