Severna Park softball player lives out dream of working as Orioles ball girl
BALTIMORE -- Abby Becker knows her way around the ball field.
She and her sister, Lilly, played softball at Severna Park High School.
In fact, Becker was a member of Severna Park's State Championship Team in 2018. She was the catcher.
After high school, Becker auditioned for and landed a position as an Orioles ball girl—something she has wanted to do since she was little.
Now, she has the best seat in the house and is working for her favorite team by fielding foul balls during the O's games.
It's a fun job, but it requires split-second decision-making and fast reflexes.
During one recent game, the former catcher rose to the moment.
"And I was like, 'This is it,'" Becker said. "My dad growing up always said, 'Two hands, Charlie'. That was, like, his thing. And so, I had enough time to get my two hands up in the air. I was worried about the tail because you can see when it hit my glove, it tails down, and I got my two hands in, did my best, and took a big breath after, and was, like, 'Whew.'"
Some people may not be impressed that a former softball catcher caught a major league line drive that was hit 100 miles per hour.
WJZ's sports director, Mark Viviano, replayed Abby's catch for the guys who play between the lines, and they were impressed.
"I have a lot of confidence in her after seeing that," Orioles outfielder Austin Hays said.
Orioles outfielder Aaron Hicks was equally impressed.
"That's the proper way to catch a baseball right there. Two hands and give it to a young fan," Hicks said. "Yes . . . She came ready to go. She came ready to play."
Becker thought it was amazing that the team members would recognize something she had done.
She and the rest of the Orioles' ball girl and ball boy team say that the best part of their job isn't the foul balls they get but the joy of giving those balls away as souvenirs to young fans.
"I get the best reactions," Becker said. "The fact that me giving a ball means so much to these kids. They get so excited, and it makes me so happy."