A 6-year-old Sandy Springs boy has accomplished something few baseball players -- even major leaguers -- have ever done: turning an unassisted triple play.
Ross Bernath has become a national sensation after his dad, Eric, posted a video of the feat on YouTube. He posted it a week ago "and not much happened and then we got an email from ESPN," which made it the No. 1 play of the day Wednesday on SportsCenter, Bernath told the AJC Thursday.
The play is so rare that it has only been done 15 times in Major League history, the last in 2009 by Phillies second baseman Eric Bruntlett.
Bernath said Ross made the play last week in a game against the Dodgers of the Northside Youth Organization at Chastain Park. In the video, Ross, who was playing shortstop for the Braves, caught a pop-up, quickly stepped on third base to double off a runner who had broken for home, then tagged out a runner coming from second base.
The video was shot by the father of the boy on third, Bernath said.
Bernath, who is one of the Braves' coaches, said the team goes over game situations at every practice, but the more complex scenarios are often difficult for 6-year-olds to learn. But when the ball was hit to Ross, "We didn't have to tell him anything; he just did it."
His dad says Ross, who attends Davis Academy in Sandy Springs, is an avid baseball fan who's been playing since he was 4.
"He loves watching the Braves and he watches SportsCenter every day," he said.
And now, he's watching himself on SportsCenter.
"He saw it this morning on ESPN and he's been smiling ear to ear," Bernath said. "He's pretty pumped."
About the Author
The Latest
Featured
