A Padres fan was holding her baby, just like she always does, when she made a great play on a foul ball during Wednesday’s game.
A Padres fan was holding her baby, just like she always does, when she made a great play on a foul ball during Wednesday's game.
Lexy Whitmore and her 3-month-old, Maverick, who was wearing a Tatis onesie, Zoomed with NBC 7 on Thursday to talk about her unforgettable barehanded grab on Wednesday at Petco Park.
"So when the guy hit the foul ball, it came down," said Whitmore, wearing her Friar Faithful Machado jersey for the interview and holding Maverick in what has become a familiar posture. "I saw it bounce, and it -- honestly, it just kind of came right to me -- I didn't think it was like this amazing catch -- and I didn't think it would go viral. But it, you know, came to me and there was no doubt in my mind that I wasn't gonna catch it."
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The San Diego native, who now lives in the Bay Area, is visiting her hometown while her husband is training in the Navy reserve. She thinks she knows why her playmaking ability broke the Internet.
"When it became this big viral thing and people are sharing, I was kind of surprised, but I think it's because it's a little glimpse into all of the multitasking mommas out there that kind of do, you know, all these things on the daily, but it's just a little clip into that," Whitmore said.
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No surprise Whitmore would make the catch while holding Maverick, she said.
"He's in my arms at all times," Whitmore said. "I'm always aware of where he is and what we're doing. Honestly, this [left] arm's kind of buff 'cause I always have him in this arm and I'm doing things with this [right] one, so it's just another kind of thing that us moms do."
Whitmore hasn't exactly been practing to catch foul balls, but she has been preparing for the possibility. She's played a lot of sports in her life, including softball. In fact, her 9-year-old, who just started softball, was sitting next to her when she made the catch. She's been practicing with her and she'll hold the baby in her left arm and use her right to practice, she said.
Some trolls on the twittersphere and elsewhere have criticized her catch, but Whitmore's not having it.
"All I have to say is that us moms we know where our kids are," Whitmore said. "I knew where he was, and I know I wasn't putting him in any danger and, if anything, I was keeping him kind of out of danger by catching it," adding later, "It's been an interesting 15 minutes of fame. I've had people send me messages and, you know, 'Oh my God, way to represent all the moms out there.' A lot of that and a lot of positivity around being a multitasking mom.:
Sadly, Whitmore's playmaking abilities could not save the Padres, who were dealt a 3-1 defeat by the Cubs. The Friars return to the field in New York on Friday, where they'll take on the Mets.
