LOS ANGELES — In the blink of an eye, Zeke Hernandez went from preparing to capture a moment of history to being thrust right in the middle of it.
In the bottom of the ninth inning on Monday night, Hernandez — a freelance camera operator currently working for FOX Sports — camped out with his crew on a cart beyond the center-field wall at Dodger Stadium, setting up to rush onto the field for any potential walk-off scenario in Game 3 of the World Series.
They had to wait a few hours and many innings, but that moment finally materialized in the 18th inning, when Freddie Freeman crushed a walk-off home run off Blue Jays left-hander Brendon Little. Freemanâ€s ball sailed over the wall in center and bounced directly in front of Hernandez, who reached up and snagged the ball on a bobble while still seated on the yellow cart.
Seconds later, Hernandez secured the ball in his pocket and was driven onto the field to capture the hysteria that overtook Dodger Stadium. As he panned his camera to the fans going crazy in the left-field pavilion, he got the perfect shot on the scoreboard of Freemanâ€s dad, Fred, emotionally cheering on his son.
“That was pretty crazy,†Hernandez said. “I didnâ€t even see it. Iâ€ll be honest with you. It came down; I heard it first. I was like, ‘We have to go get something from one of the carts!†I get my camera out ASAP. Then, when I looked down, getting ready to rock and roll, I heard it and just happened to catch it out of the corner of my eye. Just reflex. … It still hasnâ€t really hit me yet. Like, the meaning of that ball.â€
Thatâ€s more than just a home run ball. Itâ€s a historical artifact. Having also blasted a walk-off homer against the Yankees in last yearâ€s Fall Classic, Freeman etched his name in baseball immortality as the only player in history to hit two walk-off World Series home runs.
The video of the moment was captured by another member of the crew and was sent to Hernandez, who quickly sent it out to all his friends and family. Not long after, his phone was buzzing nonstop with calls and texts from folks who couldnâ€t believe what had happened.
“My whole family is Dodger fans,†Hernandez said. “So when I sent them the text, my phone was blowing up since two oâ€clock in the morning. My nephews, nieces, brothers and sisters.â€
Of course, there was one natural question on everyoneâ€s mind.
“Everybody was like, ‘What are you gonna do with the ball?â€â€ Hernandez said. “I was like, ‘I donâ€t know. Weâ€ll see.â€â€
For now, Hernandez had FOX Sports send the ball to get authenticated while he mulls his decision. But he does have an idea in his mind for what he wants to do with the piece of history.
“The right thing to do is give it back [to Freeman],†Hernandez said. “My buddies are all like, ‘Dude! Itâ€s worth a lot of money!†So you get torn between two ways.â€
Hernandez, 55, is not just some random cameraman who happened to be working the World Series. Born and raised in Los Angeles, he grew up and remains a diehard Dodgers fan, recalling his first trip to Dodger Stadium at the age of 5 up in the reserve level seats along with his family.
His profession has led to countless opportunities to experience high-profile events in the entertainment industry, from helping film TV game shows like “The Price is Right” to working other sporting events in the Los Angeles area like USC football, Angels and Rams games. Whether it be coming to games as a fan or to work, however, nothing tops his legendary night on the job for Game 3.
“Iâ€m still on a little buzz,†Hernandez said. “It still hasnâ€t hit me, the impact. … Iâ€ll never forget this moment. In my career and in my life. At Dodger Stadium, Blue Heaven, that was awesome.â€
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