The saying “You never know what you’ll see at the ballpark” bore fruit on Wednesday night in Pensacola, Florida.
In a Double-A minor league baseball game between the Mississippi Braves, Atlanta’s affiliate, and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Miami’s affiliate, a young fan interfered with a home run hit by Marlins prospect Jake Thompson.
What was a 3-run home run turned into a 2-run triple.
This could have resulted in the fan’s ejection, as typically happens when fans interfere with a ball in play. Instead, it involved a trip to the broadcast booth, among other things. During Wednesday’s broadcast, announcer Erik Bremer swore in the young fan named Swayer, getting him to admit that he caught the ball when it was well above the yellow line.
As Bremer technically holds a front-office position with the Blue Wahoos, he is responsible for enforcing Major League Baseball’s official rules. Consequently, he consulted the rulebook.
And so, Bremer took manners into his own hands.
“When fan interference is called, we have to eject you from the ballpark,” Bremer told the young fan. “Now, I think I’ve got some wiggle room on this. Be it so declared that on this Wednesday, the 5th of June, 2024, in the presence of God and Carter Bainbridge, I, Erik Bremer, have officially ejected Sawyer from Blue Wahoo Stadium effective at the end of tonight’s game after the postgame fireworks show. But, in return, he will get a Jake Thompson autograph on the 2-run triple ball, and he’ll get free tickets to the next Blue Wahoos game.”
Jake Thompson hits a home run.
Umpires rule fan interference.
Sawyer gets “ejected” in the broadcast booth.
Sawyer gets to meet Jake Thompson!Just another night at Blue Wahoos Stadium. pic.twitter.com/20F7lsceWe
— Pensacola Blue Wahoos (@BlueWahoosBBall) June 6, 2024
Sounds like a fair deal to us.
Perhaps next time, Sawyer better watch home runs from a safe distance. But this crazy night at the ballpark has become a story for the ages.
