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Fan battles a hill and loses badly while chasing home run

Everyone needs spring training. Even the fans.

Don’t believe us? Just ask Alex. He’s the fan you’ll want to console after watching the video above.

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During Wednesday’s Marlins-Astros game at the new Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla., Alex took a hilarious tumble while attempting to catch a home run off the bat of Marlins prospect Isaac Galloway.

Honestly, he probably didn’t have much of a chance to catch the ball anyway. There were too many obstructions, a couple of which could have been hazardous for his health. The steep hill may have actually saved him from crashing into something painful, but it didn’t save him from embarrassment.

Alex's friends stop by to lend a hand and a laugh. (MLB)
Alex’s friends stop by to lend a hand and a laugh. (MLB)

The worst part was that the cameras were rolling actually on Wednesday. Far less than half of the games to be played this spring in Arizona and Florida will be broadcast live. This was one of them that made television, even airing as it happened on MLB Network.

The best part, aside from not being hurt, is that he ended up with the ball. Kudos to the kind people of West Palm Beach.

Moments after the incident, Astros field reporter Julia Morales chased Alex down for an interview, which wasn’t difficult considering he’d yet to find a safe way off the hill. That’s where we learned his name and that he has a pretty good sense of humor. He even joked his “lack of athleticism” is what tripped him up.

No worries there, pal. After all, the very same Astros just removed Tal’s Hill from Minute Maid Park due in large part to safety concerns. While the Hill was the setting for some terrific catches, the fact is many of the game’s best athletes struggled to navigate the hill and catch a baseball at the same time.

With that in mind, maybe our expectations for Alex were a bit too high. But that doesn’t make his fall any less comical.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!