Houston Astros backup catcher Erik Kratz took a hilarious tumble during pregame introductions at Minute Maid Park prior to Monday's home opener against Kansas City.
The Astros players were lining up along the first base line one by one to be greeted by the home crowd. When it came to Kratz, he lost his footing just after he reached the top of the dugout steps and found himself doing a faceplant in front of thousands of people.
#Astros back-up catcher Erik Kratz took a tumble during intros, his teammates and #Royals had a good laugh pic.twitter.com/AVXqwAncC4— Daniel Gotera (@DTGoteraKHOU) April 12, 2016
You could hear the P.A. announcer cringe as he watched it happen. The Royals got a good laugh, too, although there was no ill intent, as Kratz was a member of the Royals for a brief stint during the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
Not sure if Kratz's feet got tangled up on the orange carpet somewhere or if he was a bit too excited, but no one would have blamed him for wanting to take a long getaway after this one. This has to be every athlete's nightmare, as the thought in the back of an athlete's mind as they run out to the field when their name is called is "don't trip". Fortunately, Kratz got back up on his feet and handled it like a pro, and may have earned even more cheers from Astros fans.
H/T BLS.
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports) and like Holdout Sports on Facebook.
