Who said the Chicago White Sox don't have any exciting young talent waiting in the wings? A unidentified young boy stole the show at U.S. Cellular Field on Thursday, storming the field in the seventh inning of a 5-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles. With the small matinee crowd pointing and laughing, the tiny Sox fan scampered over the wall and into the outfield.
The South Side's version of Ferris Bueller didn't make it far, though, as White Sox left fielder Dayan Viciedo turned in the day's funniest web gem by quickly scooping the boy into his arms and marching him over to a couple of security guards. Meanwhile, White Sox announcer Steve Stone wondered out loud if the boy's fine would involve "a dozen Oreos."
In the end, the boy and his family were ejected from the ballpark per MLB rules and it was not immediately clear if the boy ran on his own or was encouraged by his family members. Viciedo told the Chicago Tribune that his first instinct was to grab the boy because he was afraid that he'd be hit by a ball.
[ MLB Full Count: Don't miss the action! Tune in every day on Yahoo! Sports ]
The topic of fans running on the field has been a touchy subject with the team ever since a man and his teenage son attacked Royals coach Tom Gamboa in 2002. Yet even the White Sox couldn't resist a little humor during their official response to the statement.
From the Associated Press:
''Safety is our No. 1 concern and we are happy that the child is fine,'' White Sox spokesman Scott Reifert said in a statement. ''Obviously it was a non-issue for Dayan who was able to field the kid cleanly. But going on the field is stuff we do take seriously. It's not something we condone in any way."
The team did not file any further charges against the boy or his family, but that doesn't mean they're in the clear. After all, how will they explain that sick note to his principal now?
Want more baseball fun all season long?
Follow @bigleaguestew, @KevinKaduk and the BLS Facebook page!