September 21st, 2021 at 8:00 am 
by 0799291000348 On Sunday, September 19, 2021, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park by a score of 8-5; A crushing loss for the Reds in their pursuit of a postseason wildcard spot, and an important victory for the Dodgers, who are in the chase for their ninth consecutive NL West championship.
The game had notable performances, including Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw keeping the Reds hitters off balance for five innings with curves and sliders, using his fastball as his change-of-pace pitch. Left fielder Gavin Lux continued to display his offensive potential, and catcher Will Smith cemented his status as the best all-around catcher in MLB with his 25th home run and 72nd RBI of the 2021 regular season, with 12 games remaining.
But this game had a moment that deserves special recognition. In the sixth inning, 26-year-old Reds rookie outfielder TJ Friedl hit a pinch-hit home run. It was his first hit as a Major League player, a truly special moment for the Sewickley, PA native. But what happened after the home run was memorable for everyone playing or watching the game.
Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts remembered that Friedl had made his Major League debut the previous day, so the home run was his first hit. Mookie did not hesitate; he motioned to the fan, who had just caught the ball on the fly, to throw the memento ball to him. The Reds’ fan immediately tossed the ball to Betts, no bartering for a quid pro quo trade. Mookie yelled to the fan, “I got you,” and then threw the treasure to Reds’ first base coach Delino DeShields for safekeeping.
Betts didn’t forget the fan. True to his word, when he returned to right field the next half-inning, he brought with him one of his bats autographed in Dodger Blue, personally handing it to the fan in the bleachers.
Friedl’s reaction: “Chills, honestly. For [Betts] to do that for me was incredible.”
Reds’ manager David Bell summed it up nicely:
“I don’t know Mookie, but man, it just says so much about him as a person, as a player. It confirms basically everything I’ve ever heard about him. To think that selflessly or to think outside yourself that much in the heat of the game and to be that thoughtful, it’s amazing. That was just so classy.”
During his postgame Zoom media session, Betts was asked about his now-famous interaction with Dillard and about fan interactions in general. To the surprise of many, Betts referenced one of the greatest sports legends – and human beings – of all time.
“You know, just those type of interactions are kind of everlasting,” Betts answered. “I think one of the last times I talked to Kobe [Bryant] one time, he just sort of reminded me that by the time the game’s over, if you see somebody, somebody knows who you are, somebody recognizes you, obviously that’s through our play, but it’s just another way for somebody to just impact someone’s life.
“You know what, I wasn’t really doing it for camera particularly, just, I was just doing it because, you know, he immediately threw the ball back, didn’t even ask for anything back. I just gave it to him.”
(Video capture courtesy of LA Dodgers)
What all Dodgers fans already knew, Mookie Betts is the perennial MVP – Most Valuable Person. Pure class, on and off the field.
AND, he is going to be a Dodger through 2027.
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Posted in 
Pure class, indeed! I posted the following on another thread just before this one was made public…
“What Mookie Betts did for TJ Friedl was nothing short of pure class. I guarantee he has many new fans in Cincinnatti and Friedl will never forget Betts’ good will.”
During a game, I think of one thing, more than anything else, beating the other team. I think its a wonderful thing that Mookie was thinking of Friedl, instead of the HR he just hit against us. I’m even amazed that he was thinking of the circumstances of the moment.
This was a very unique event, not likely to be repeated by any other MLB player (although Friedl may one day have the opportunity to pay it forward for another player). Being a road game for Dodgers and Betts takes this to another level. One would expect the Reds to take the initiative to retrieve the ball and reward the fan for his unselfish act; even the Reds TV announcers were calling for the team (including Barry Larkin) to do something special, but alas it was the class act by Mookie Betts that saved the day.