Texas Rangers prospect needed police escort to get to ballpark on time
Texas Rangers' first baseman/outfielder slugger Joey Gallo got the call on Tuesday that he was heading back from Triple-A Round Rock to the Rangers at Arlington for a game that evening, only problem being a typical swarm of traffic on I-35 between Alvarado and the stadium in Arlington.
So the team actually set up a police escort for Gallo, who was slated to bat sixth and play first base.
“I probably shouldn’t talk about it,” Gallo joked, per the Star-Telegram. “We got to skip a lot of that standstill traffic. I just followed him. [He used] yellow lights, some times he would put the red, white and blue on. Most people just pulled over. That definitely helped me get here on time. It was definitely pretty sweet.”
Although the Rangers lost 6-3, the trouble to make sure he got there on time courtesy a state trooper worked out for the Rangers as Gallo smashed a home run in the fifth inning off Sonny Gray.
The police escort also made for great fodder for Star-Telegram reporter Stefan Stevenson, who kept Rangers fans apprised of Gallo's progress as follows:
Live look in at Gallo driving up from Round Rock w/ those famous central Texas cactus & mountains ... pic.twitter.com/JDKaLF9391
— Stefan Stevenson (@StevensonFWST) July 26, 2016
This just in: Gallo has run out of gas in Killeen ... pic.twitter.com/FCuzTbmk2r
— Stefan Stevenson (@StevensonFWST) July 26, 2016
BREAKING: Gallo has ditched the sedan for a motorcycle ... pic.twitter.com/Pt1ETFseQe
— Stefan Stevenson (@StevensonFWST) July 26, 2016
Gallo has made brave decision to swim the final mile ... pic.twitter.com/fF2K4NIazA
— Stefan Stevenson (@StevensonFWST) July 27, 2016
He has arrived. Gallo takes chopper in for last 50 yards ... pic.twitter.com/HXRjDlLN3M
— Stefan Stevenson (@StevensonFWST) July 27, 2016
Update: Gallo being helped through rain water ... pic.twitter.com/QOzj0SSXFb
— Stefan Stevenson (@StevensonFWST) July 27, 2016