Joe Ayala says his can of beer took the impact of the foul ball that rocketed into the stands of a Los Angeles Angels-Oakland Athletics spring training game held in Tempe, Arizona.
If you’re sitting in foul ball territory at a baseball game, sometimes it helps to have quick reflexes. In one man’s case, a can of beer wasn’t a bad idea, either.
Joe Ayala and his girlfriend Meagan Casillas were sitting in the stands of a Los Angeles Angels-Oakland Athletics spring training game held in Tempe, Arizona, when the player at bat cracked a foul ball into the stands.
“I remember sitting down. I didn’t get a sip of my beer. And then I heard people screaming. I thought it was a home run. So I looked up, didn’t see a ball. I look over towards the batter and saw a ball come right for us,” Ayala said.
Thankfully, his can of beer made the catch, exploding all over the place in the process.
“This can of beer saved my life,” Ayala said.
The split-second moment of impact was captured by photographer Mark Rebilas.
“It made for a really interesting picture,” Rebilas said.
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