Albert Pujols hit home runs No. 499 and No. 500 on Tuesday night against the Washington Nationals, and thanks to some gracious Angels fans from the D.C. area, he received both of the balls back without even having to ask.
Pujols, who became the third-youngest player to hit 500 home runs in his career, connected for No. 500 in the fifth inning, drilling it to left-center field. That’s where Air Force Staff Sgt. Tom Sherrill was waiting, and after the ball tumbled away from one diving fan, he was able to snag the piece of history.
The Pomona, Calif., native never planned on keeping the ball, though, telling the Angels’ broadcasters he would enjoy the moment but return the ball to Pujols, which he did after the game. Sherrill didn’t ask for anything from Pujols and the team, but he received a new Angels hat and an autographed ball for his generosity.
The fan who caught home run No. 499 also returned the ball, though that one isn’t quite as special as the ball that followed.
Check out Sherrill’s catch and subsequent interview in the video below.
[mlbvideo id=”32292171″ width=”640″ height=”358″ /]
