When Mets Fans Become Puig Fans

By now you've all seen the extraordinary catch that Yasiel Puig made at Citi Field against the Mets...

Some are calling it "The catch of the year".  Puig's all-out effort and Fantastic Catch was even recognized by Mets fans who gave him a standing ovation.  It's one thing to make a great play and be given an ovation by the home crowd, but it's extremely rare for the opposing team's fans to stand and applaud a defensive play that killed their team's rally.  Especially in New York!

Whether or not it's the best catch of the year, Dodger broadcaster Charlie Steiner relayed a story during today's broadcast that I believe is Puig's "Play of the year" so far.

During the second of the three games against the Mets, Dee Gordon was at bat with Puig coming up next. While standing on deck Puig noticed a couple of fans watching the game in a special area - a quadriplegic in a wheelchair and his friend. 

While Gordon was batting, Puig quickly dashed into the dugout and grabbed a couple of bats and baseballs and apparently unnoticed by the television cameras, gave those baseballs and bats to the disabled man and his friend. He then returned to the business at hand, had his at bat and promptly hit a home run. 

thatballsouttahere.com

The reason we know about Puig's actions before that home run is because of a Mets fan. He sent an email to the Dodgers telling this story which otherwise might have passed forever unnoticed and unknown.

The fan went on to write, "I may be a Mets fan, but I'm now a Puig fan for life." 

Roy Campanella once said you have to be a man, but also have a lot of little boy in you to play the game of baseball, and most of us can agree Puig shows that little boy side quite often.  

Without the fanfare that accompanies many of his exploits, in one almost unseen moment, Yasiel Puig showed that he is indeed a man as well.