Florida grad Davie’s bat grab earns rave reviews

By Adam Silverstein
March 9, 2011

Being a Florida Gators fan these days will not get you much publicity…unless you’re a beautiful woman, happen to be wearing jean shorts or are getting in some kind of trouble. Mitch Davie broke through that barrier by simply attending a Atlanta Braves spring training baseball game on Friday and – not as simply – making an astounding one-handed grab of a baseball bat flying into the stands (without spilling his Red Stripe).

“There was a group of nine of us that went to the game courtesy of our area manager for all our hard work these past months. So everyone on my right in my row is with me,” Davie told OGGOA in his first interview about the catch. “I had told D.J. Ackley, who is in sunglasses, that if a ball came his way I’d catch it.

“Two innings later, I hear the crowd scream and I look up and see the bat flying [in my direction]. So I just timed it and threw my hand out. I told D.J. afterward that he didn’t even react; he told me he put his foot up, but I didn’t even see it because I was so focused on the bat.”

Had the Associated Press’ David Goldman not captured the moment with his camera, only a select group of people would have known about Davie’s catch. Instead, his picture has been featured on numerous websites and mentioned on television programs including Jim Rome is Burning (ESPN) and Regis and Kelly (ABC).

He has been contacted for a handful of interviews but chose to speak with OGGOA first.

“I was surprised it was caught on camera and not video,” he said. “I assumed, it being a game played at Disney’s Wide World of Sports, that it would have been caught by someone’s video camera. The response has been tremendous.”

When a bat is flung into the crowd by accident, the respective team’s equipment manager often retrieves it in exchange for a replacement bat or some other memorabilia. Davie was able to keep the one he nabbed, though he jokingly wished his efforts were somewhat rewarded by the offending batter.

“The bat is in my possession,” he said. “I’m kind of upset [Atlanta second baseman] Dan Uggla left in the eighth inning, so I didn’t get an autograph. I think the least he owes me is dinner and a movie for saving him from a lawsuit!”

Davie may not get to enjoy a steak with Uggla, but he was definitely a part of a moment that Gators fans will be proud of for quite some time.

Photo Credit: David Goldman/Associated Press

2 Comments

  1. Tony M says:

    “Go one-hand a buddy-harming projectile while sporting an upright beer in the other.”

    “Go Gators.”

    The University of Florida: the Foundation of Gator Nation.

    [fade to black]

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