I apologize if we already have a thread for Fellhauer, but I couldn't find one.
Saw this on Corey Brinn's blog about Fellhauer's first hit for the Dragons:
Josh Fellhauer collects 1st Pro Hit
July 15th, 2009
Just last month, Josh Fellhauer was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the seventh round of the 2009 Major League Draft. After agreeing to terms, he was flown to Dayton on July 3 for his physical and to sign his contract. Several hours later he was dressed in uniform as the newest member of the Dayton Dragons. Fellhauer did not see action that night, but was able to watch from the bench and soak in life in professional baseball.
Following that game, the Dragons boarded a bus for a three-city, ten-game road trip. Fellhauer was inserted into his first professional game on July 4, playing center field and batting leadoff. It took until his second professional game, but Fellhauer collected his first professional hit off of the West Michigan starter on July 5, a single.
When time was called, we asked the umpire to please throw out the ball in order to present it Fellhauer as his first professional hit. I quickly grabbed the ball that was thrown towards our dugout and held on to it until I could present to Fellhauer after the game.
During that same inning, Fellhauer came around to score and received tons of congratulations from his teammates. Tossing the ball up and down in my hand, I told “Felly,” his college nickname at Cal-State Fullerton, that I had the ball for him, and he thanked me. At that moment, I dropped the ball that I was holding and it rolled off the dugout step down a few feet toward the bat rack. Dragons infielder Kevyn Feiner was walking by, so he picked up the ball and immediately tossed it over his head, over the dugout roof and into the stands.
Dragons players began to yell at Feiner, telling him he had just thrown Fellhauer’s first professional hit into the stands. One guy even started to climb up to ask the fan for it back. Feiner just stared at us with a confused look on his face.
Not wanting things to get carried too far, I pulled the actual baseball out of my pocket that Fellhauer had connected on for his first professional hit. Feiner and I broke into a huge laughter, as we had set the whole thing up together.
Fellhauer later told me, “I didn’t know what had just happened. I thought there was a net up there and the ball would bounce back into the dugout, but it never came back.”
He cracked a smile, realizing he had already been pranked, less than a week into his professional career. Josh Fellhauer, welcome to the minor leagues!