Mike Trout said earlier this season that he and fellow Los Angeles Angels outfielder Peter Bourjos had come to a gentleman's agreement that no fly ball shall drop between them.
But now that Trout's stellar play has forced Bourjos out of centerfield and the Angels regular lineup, it would appear that the rookie is expanding the Halos' no-fly zone on his own — and yes, it includes baseballs falling behind the wall.
With apologies to Baltimore's J.J. Hardy, check out the jaw-dropping catch that Trout hauled in off the shortstop's blast during the first inning of Wednesday's 13-1 win over the Orioles.
Reminder: This man will not be able to legally drink a beer until early August.
Wow. Catch of the day? Definitely. Catch of the year? Probably. Catch of the decade? Well, it has to be included in the conversation if the first thing out of everyone's mouth was a comparison to one of the best catches of the previous decade — Torii Hunter robbing Barry Bonds in the first inning of the 2002 All-Star Game at Milwaukee's Miller Park.
Trout was just 10 years old when Hunter turned in one of the most memorable moments in recent All-Star Game history. And what makes Trout's catch even cooler is that Hunter watched the whole thing from right field at Camden Yards. The veteran later tweeted that it was "one of the best catches I've seen with my eyes" and that Trout is "going to be fun to watch for years to come."
However, when asked by the MLB Network guys to identify the better grab, Hunter remained non-committal.
"Man, why you gotta put me on the spot like that?" he asked.
I suspect, though, that Hunter might already know the answer. Given the difficulty of Baltimore sun and shadows, a longer leap and a full-on extension, I think Trout's grab gets the nod. That's not taking anything away from Hunter either as Trout's catch was just that stellar.
Tweeted opposing center fielder Adam Jones: "This kid is a freak of nature. I'm just saying."
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