Chicago Cubs pitcher Travis Wood made history on Saturday night not with his glove, but with his bat as he became the second relief pitcher in big league history to hit a home run in a playoff game.
That home run, which helped the Cubs to a victory over the San Francisco Giants and gave them a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five series, was a significant one, and although the fan who caught it could have opted to keep the historic ball, he instead opted to give it back to Wood.
“I believe this belongs to you,” Cubs fan Rich Hemmig said to Wood when he returned the ball to the pitcher following the game. In exchange for the ball, Hemmig did get an autographed ball from Wood and also got his picture taken with the hurler:
Travis Wood with the guy who caught his HR ball. And traded it for a signed ball. pic.twitter.com/XG31WvemPJ
— Paul Skrbina (@ChiTribSkrbina) October 9, 2016
According to the Chicago Tribune, Hemmig “never considered” keeping the ball and only wanted to get an autographed ball in exchange for the home run ball.
Wood’s home run put him into an exclusive club, as he became just the second relief pitcher to hit a home run in a postseason game and the first to do so in nearly 100 years. The last pitcher to do it ironically played for the Giants, as Rosy Ryan played for the team while they were still in New York. He hit his home run during a 1924 World Series game against the Washington Senators.
