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Sunday's game between the Los Angeles Dodgers the Reds turned into one that will be remembered forever by Reds rookie TJ Friedl. In only his second Major League at-bat, and his very first hit, Friedl hit his very first Major League home run in the sixth inning. But what really made it a day worth remembering was the actions of a star player on the other team that will allow Friedl a permanent keepsake from the moment.
After Friedl scored his home run, Dodgers star Mookie Betts turned to the fan that caught the ball and asked for the ball back, explaining that it was Friedl's first home run.
“I just asked him for the ball. It was kind of sign language. I said, ‘I’ll throw you another ball. That’s his first home run, so can you throw it back?’ He didn’t hesitate, threw it right back,” Betts explained.
After the game, Betts shared one of the last conversations he had with Kobe Bryant right before he passed away and the importance of impacting the game beyond the actual game.
Those interactions are kind of everlasting. One of the last times I spoke to Kobe (Bryant) he just reminded me by the time the game is over, leave somebody (happy), somebody knows who you are, somebody recognizes you. I wasn’t really doing it for cameras or anything. I was just doing it because (the fan) immediately threw the ball back and didn’t give even ask her anything.
Photo: Getty Images