Rodney Peete makes headlines for catching a ball, not throwing one
Early in the morning Tuesday and Wednesday, the MLB season kicked off with the 2025 Tokyo Series. Led by superstar Shohei Ohtani, the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers headed to Ohtani’s native country of Japan to take on the Chicago Cubs. The Dodgers won both games, starting off the 2025 season 2-0. During the second game, however, another LA sports legend unexpectedly found himself in the spotlight: former USC star quarterback Rodney Peete.
During the game, a Cubs batter hit a pop up into foul territory, and Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy chased the ball down in attempt to make the catch. When he reached into the stands, however, he was unable to come down with the ball, as the FS1 broadcast captured Peete, who was sitting in the stands, catching it instead.
This was certainly not Peete’s first time catching a baseball—he played both baseball and football at USC in the 1980s. Peete was actually selected in the MLB Draft three different times. After finishing as runner-up for the 1988 Heisman Trophy (behind only Barry Sanders), however, Peete elected to pursue a professional football career instead. He was selected in the sixth round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions, and went on to play 16 seasons in the league.
Peete currently co-hosts a sports talk radio show in Los Angeles. His son, R.J., works as a clubhouse attendant for the Dodgers.
