Spike Lee Catches Mark Teixeira’s Bat

When sports fans think of Spike Lee, they think about New York — of course usually they’re thinking about the New York Knicks, where the filmmaker has had court-side seats for as long as anyone remembers. Sunday afternoon Lee and his teenage son Jackson had pretty good seats again, but the venue wasn’t Madison Square Garden, but rather the-House-that-came-after-the-house-that-Ruth-built, the new Yankee Stadium.

The pair wasn’t treated to a Yankees victory (The Los Angeles Angels topped the Bronx Bombers 10-8 in a slugfest that saw eight home runs) but they did leave with quite the souvenir, and Spike showed reflexes to indicate that “He Got Game.”

USA Today reported that during the first inning, New York first baseman Mark Teixeira lost hold of his bat, sending it flying into the crowd.

After Jackson and Spike Lee managed to evade the bat, the elder Lee managed to pick the bat off the ground. The New York Daily News showed photos of the bat coming pretty close to Jackson as both ducked, but no one was hurt and they were all smiles afterward.

For his part, Teixiara went 1-for-4 with a home run. He is batting .251 this season.

Spike Lee showed the bat to the crowd, before showing off his swing. USA Today reported Yankee’s broadcaster David Wells, a former Yankees’ pitcher, is unlikely to be counted as a Spike Lee fan, commenting, “I’m sure some people wished that would’ve hit him.”

No word on whether Spike Lee took the advice of another of his film’s calls to “Do the Right Thing,” by giving the bat to his son.