Portland Pickles Invite Fan to Take At-Bat And He Unleashed Surreal Two-Run Homer

A fan at a Portland Pickles college summer league game hit a two-home run after being invited to take an at-bat.
A fan at a Portland Pickles college summer league game hit a two-home run after being invited to take an at-bat. / Screenshot via Portland Pickles on X

The Portland Pickles do baseball differently, and it results in some incredible theater.

On Saturday, the collegiate summer baseball wooden bat team was holding its Fan Appreciation Night at Walker Stadium in Portland. As part of the event, a fan was invited to get on the field and take a legitimate at-bat during the game.

The fan stepped into the batter's box, looking surprisingly confident, and unloaded an absolute moonshot of a two-run home run, sending the crowd and Pickles faithful into an absolute frenzy.

The fan was given a jersey––that didn't even match the ones the Pickles were wearing that night––and put on a helmet, stepping into the batter's box still wearing his sneakers and shorts. In his first at-bat, the fan, "Dixie," drew a walk and came around to score. His home run came in his next plate appearance during the eighth inning, and it was a truly surreal moment.

There's not many places you'll find fans actively getting the chance to participate in games, but Walker Stadium is home to some of the most bonkers shenanigans in sports, and Dixie's two-run blast showed exactly why the Portland-based team loves to go all out with its themed events.

It's not all jokes from the Pickles, either, who have rostered a few players currently in MLB, including Cleveland Guardians slugger Kyle Manzardo.


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Karl Rasmussen
KARL RASMUSSEN

Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.