They say never meet your heroes, but sometimes fate has other plans.
While Seattle Mariners were busy celebrating an 8-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers in Game 3 of their ALDS matchup – to take a 2-1 lead – one fan had a couple more reasons to celebrate.
Cal Raleigh, also known as “the big dumper” among the Mariners faithful, added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning after hitting a 391-foot home run, also his 61st hit of the year. And in a moment of serendipity, the ball cleared the left field wall at Comerica Park in Detroit and into the Mariners' bullpen before bouncing straight into the glove of Jameson Turner, who was wearing a T-shirt that read “Drop 61 Here” among a crowd of Tigers fans.
Turner's antics did not end there, however, as the Raleigh supporter was prepared. Moments after Turner collected the home run ball and steeled himself, he yanked off his now-viral shirt only to reveal an almost identical “Dump 62 here” T-shirt he was hiding under.
Turner, a Las Vegas resident who grew up two hours south of Seattle, booked a ticket to Game 3 in Detroit on Monday, just 24 hours before catching Raleigh's first home run of the 2025 postseason.
“I told the woman next to me that this is my pitch, he’s going to hit me a home run right now,” Turner said. Athletic. “And he landed in the bullpen and came right up to me. I caught it with my glove. I'm still in shock.”
His catch, which rightfully went viral on social media, caught the attention of not only people online but also sailors. It all started with the players in the Seattle bullpen cheering for Turner at the time, but it continued after the game.
Turner was eventually pulled out of his seat by a team staffer to meet Raleigh after the game, a moment Turner called “incredible.” Not only did he meet the man who inspired this special moment, but he also received a couple of autographs for his efforts.
Raleigh signed the home run that Turner caught and also gave him an autographed bat with the inscription: “Thank you for supporting us and catching 61!”
As of Wednesday's Game 4, Turner didn't plan to stay in Detroit because of the pivotal turn of events, but now believes his plans could change.
“You’ll have to come back tomorrow,” Raleigh pleaded with Turner as he left the visitors’ clubhouse for a meeting.
