A Royals batter knocked part of the cover off the ball despite hitting it 37 feet
Roy Hobbs’ first big-league hit in the movie “The Natural” was a triple that resulted in the cover being knocked off the ball, leaving a stringy mess for Philadelphia Phillies defenders.
Catcher Freddy Fermin didn’t exactly recreate that moment Wednesday during the Royals’ 2-0 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, but he did tear part of the cover off the ball.
Oddly, it happened when Fermin fouled off a pitch and the ball rolled to the on-deck circle, which is roughly 37 feet from home plate.
The ball off Fermin’s bat wasn’t exactly shot to pieces, but Diamondbacks broadcaster Bob Brenly explained how the cover was torn. Fermin’s bat is cupped at the top, and the back of that indention caught the stitches of the ball, ripping it, Brenly said at MLB.com.
The cover being knocked off the ball by Hobbs, who was played by Robert Redford, was a really cool movie moment. Here it is.
