ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — At seven years old, Mark Leiter Jr. had yet to catch a major-league batting practice fly ball, but he’d been working up to it.
“The year before, I was only allowed to go for ground balls and five-hoppers,” Leiter told the Sun-Times. “I was getting better and better.”
For his father, the elder Mark Leiter, one of the perks of being a pitcher was getting to shag batting practice with his son. But he was always nervous when young Mark would go after the ball. One day, the perfect opportunity arose. Young Mark reached up and caught a fly ball hit by Phillies shortstop Alex Arias.