Mookie Betts went out of his way to get a Reds rookie’s first HR ball back from a fan

All class from Betts.

There are few moments that MLB players cherish more than that first big-league hit. It’s an accomplishment that takes a lifetime of dedication to reach, and that’s exactly why we always see the first-hit ball getting tossed back to the dugout for safe keeping.

That becomes more complicated, though, when the first hit happens to be a home run. But thankfully for Reds rookie outfielder T.J. Friedl, Dodgers star Mookie Betts was on the scene.

Friedl — in his second big-league at-bat — hit a pinch-hit homer to right field in the sixth inning of Sunday’s game in Cincinnati. It was both his first MLB hit and home run.

That was when Betts briefly put aside the competitiveness of an MLB game to make the moment even more special for Friedl in a tremendous show of sportsmanship.

Well aware that it was Friedl’s first MLB hit, Betts spoke to the fan who caught the home run and made a deal to get the ball thrown back. In exchange for the ball, Betts offered to give the fan one of his bats — which was a pretty sweet deal.

Betts got the ball and signaled to the Reds dugout before tossing it over. He’d later return to the spot in right field to give the fan a bat. That fan also decided to give the bat away to a young Dodgers fan.

It was just a classy exchange from everyone involved — the kind of moment you absolutely love to see at a baseball game. I’m sure Friedl will appreciate that an opponent went out of his way to make that happen too.

[mm-video type=video id=01ffgfw6h4hwt6dwv51x playlist_id=01f09p3bf720d8rg02 player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01ffgfw6h4hwt6dwv51x/01ffgfw6h4hwt6dwv51x-34aff194be9fbf14b6707b44a2f300e0.jpg]