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By Jerry Beach |
Patrick Wedderburn exchanged hugs with family and friends Friday night as he held aloft his once-in-a-lifetime haul in section 321 at Citi Field — two foul balls snagged in a three-pitch span during the eighth inning of the Mets’ 5-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
But the 23-year-old from Farmingville didn’t hesitate when asked what he planned to do with the baseballs.
“I’m gonna give her both of them,” he said as he gestured to his mother, Christa, who was at the park as part of her birthday celebration.
Patrick, wearing a Pete Alonso jersey, said he was looking at his phone in the fifth row of section 321 — two levels behind home plate at Citi Field — when the first foul ball off the bat of TJ Friedl landed in the second row.
“I looked up, I saw it bouncing right there, I dove over, grabbed it,” Patrick said.
Friedl then fouled a pitch off towards the third base side before hitting another Drew Smith offering into section 321.
“Before I could even think about it, the second one was right behind me,” Patrick said. “I grabbed it right on this chair right there.”
“Right there!” Christa said, motioning to the fifth seat in the sixth row.
“Went right over my head,” Patrick said.
Friedl ended up fouling off six two-strike pitches before popping out to third. Moments later, mother and son posed for a picture with her unexpected birthday gifts.
“Out of all these people here!” said Bob Wedderburn, Christa’s husband and Patrick’s father. “What are the odds?”
Top: Patrick Wedderburn, standing with his mother, Christa, holds two foul balls that he caught in a three-pitch span at the baseball game between the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Mets on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023, in New York. (Jerry Beach via AP)
