How wiffle ball helped Kevin Mitchell make iconic barehanded catch

Kevin Mitchell recalls iconic barehanded catch on 31st anniversaryBelieve it or not, wiffle ball had a helping hand in one of the most iconic catches in MLB history.

Former Giants outfielder Kevin Mitchell, in a recent interview with NBC Sports Bay Area's Amy Gutierrez, recalled how he made the shocking barehanded catch against the St. Louis Cardinals in 1989. It seemed to even catch him by surprise, because he wasn't expecting Ozzie Smith -- himself one of the great defensive wizards in the game's history -- to slice a ball down the left field line.

"We (were) playing Ozzie in the gaps," Mitchell told Gutierrez. "We weren't even supposed to be pitching him outside because he hits the ball to…