For all the plays on the field during Tuesday night’s Cincinnati Reds game against the San Diego Padres, arguably the best web gem of all came in the stands, KTLA sister station KSWB reported.
A foul ball off the bat of San Diego catcher Luis Campusano in the top of the fifth inning sailed over the visiting dugout, bouncing off the ground and into the hands of Jacob Kingsley, who was bottle-feeding his infant child Shepherd. It was a stellar right-handed grab that happened all while the baby remained strapped to Kingsley’s chest in his seat.
Kingsley’s snag drew applause from surrounding fans and praise from the Reds TV announcers, as seen in footage shared by the MLB and the Cincinnati Reds.
“Nice job!” broadcaster John Sedak said. “Holds the bottle, no spillage, baby in perfect bliss and a souvenir.”
Jacob and his wife Jordan Kingsley, who was seated next to him, were caught sharing a smile after the catch. When the camera flashed the trio after the next pitch, Sedak remarked that Kingsley’s catch was “the play of the night right now.”
Later, broadcaster Jim Day caught up with the trio, asking Kingsley what was going through his mind when he made the catch.
“Safety first, obviously,” he said. “I saw the ball pop up and just wanted to keep him happy so I did my best to protect him at the same time. I reached a hand up and I had some fierce competition, but it ended up happening great, but it was baby first.”
Jordan Kingsley told Day that they were watching for errant baseballs all night, which also happened to be Shepherd’s first-ever Reds game.
“The baby’s happy, I’m happy and I’m just impressed,” she said. “I’m like, ‘Who is this man?'”
The Reds ultimately won Tuesday’s game 9-6. Both teams return to the field Wednesday in Cincinnati.