Hyun-Jin Ryu is an up and coming pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers that has turned into a fan favorite at Dodger Stadium in his first year with the club. The lefthander has always been welcoming to fans who attend ballgames, and he even played catch with a Dodgers’ youngster in the stands during batting practice before a game.
Ryu was hanging out near the left field wall as his teammates took batting practice and he decided to have a catch with a young fan wearing a Dodgers’ uniform with the name “Deuce” on his back. Most fans are hoping to catch home run balls or a t-shirt in-between innings, but Deuce has topped them all with a rare toss with Hyun-Jin Ryu.
Ryu is off to a solid start in his first year in the Major Leagues as he currently sports a 4-2 record with a 3.40 earned run average. He gave up one run in a 7-1 win over the Miami Marlins in his last start this past Saturday.
He’s now given one young fan a memory that will last forever as the two played catch for around five minutes before batting practice ended. The most impressive part of the video is how well the youngster can catch and throw, from the left field bleachers no less. Maybe it’s time Magic Johnson considered giving Deuce a tryout with the team .
Hyun-Jin Ryu was spot on as well, as expected, and the kid never looked to be overly excited or out of his element; just playing catch with a Major League ballplayer is all.
The Dodgers’ players have a knack for taking care of their fans, and Deuce’s moment comes just one week after Matt Kemp made headlines by giving one of his biggest fans his cleats, hat, jersey, and an autographed ball after a game against the San Francisco Giants.
In both instances a Dodgers’ star went out of their way to share a moment with their fans, showing one of the more precious sides of baseball and how the game can impact much more than just a pennant race.
Here’s video of Hyun-Jin Ryu playing catch with the young man during batting practice at Dodger Stadium, courtesy of Dodgerfilms :
[Image via Keith Allison ]