PITTSBURGH -- There are few mementos that a pitcher cherishes more than the baseball with which he struck out his first batter. Pirates reliever Cam Vieaux had to go through a couple extra steps to get his.
When Vieaux got Giants third baseman Evan Longoria swinging to end the fifth inning for his first career strikeout in his first Major League game, catcher Tyler Heineman, as backstops instinctively do, threw the ball to third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes. And Hayes, as corner infielders instinctively do after an inning-ending strikeout, threw the ball into the PNC Park crowd, right into the glove of 12-year-old Andre Hill. The Pirates had a ball to retrieve.
For Hill, Vieaux’s first strikeout was the first ball he’s ever gotten at a baseball game. He exuded pure joy after making the catch, holding the ball up for all to see and receiving a procession of high-fives and daps.
“The third baseman has the ball, he throws it up,” Hill told MLB.com. “It’s a little away from me, but I go over, I reach over the seat and get it. I’m like, ‘Wow. This is the first ball I’ve ever got at a game. This is super special.’”
Only moments later, Hill realized the ball was special for a certain 29-year-old rookie, too.
Hill was made aware of the significance that the ball possessed for Vieaux. He immediately made his way towards the field and met with Heineman, who orchestrated a one-for-one trade for another baseball. Hill knew that others in his position had negotiated for additional gear, but he cared more about doing what he felt was right.
“I just wanted to trade it in, fair and square,” Hill said. “I’ve seen people trading stuff for bats, but I wasn’t really thinking about that. I was like, ‘I’m going to give him his piece of history, and I’m going to be fine with what I have.’”
Given the catch, and subsequent exchange, Hill ranks the game among the best he’s ever attended. The only other contest that comes close came on his ninth birthday in Arizona, when a fan ran onto the field.
“One of the funniest things I’ve ever seen,” Hill said.
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June 18, 2022 at 09:02AM
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Cam Vieaux logs first MLB strikeout, gets ball from young Pirates fan - MLB.com
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