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Up for a Math Teaser?

Many accountants like math challenges, so here’s a dandy. I’ve been to hundreds of baseball games in my life, but at a recent Columbus Clippers/Charlotte Knights game I witnessed something I had not previously seen. What are the actual odds of this event?

Here’s what happened: In a game where 9,140 people attended, the batter hit a foul ball into the right-field corner, which was caught in the air by a fan. On the next pitch, the batter hit another foul ball--caught in the air by the same man! Same batter, same pitcher, same man in the seats catching the ball in mid-air...and on consecutive pitches! What are the odds of this happening?

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Comment by Rob Nance on May 29, 2009 at 1:43pm: Thanks for stepping up to the plate, Sean. I don't know what the answer is...but I'm sure others will give it a stab, too. The big piece in this equation, which will really throw the odds into orbit, is the fact that this happened on consecutive pitches. I think I've previously seen the same person get two foul balls in a game, but not on back-to-back foul balls. This guy also caught both balls with his baseball glove! He nearly got a standing ovation.

Comment by Sean LaFortune, CPA on May 29, 2009 at 1:21pm: Taking several factors out of the euqation (such as same pitcher, same hitter, consecutive pitches), I came up with this theory:

1 - In its simplest form, you have four options on a pitch: ball, strike, hit, or foul. So, 1/4
2 - Now, if it IS a foul ball, there are three options (again, simplest form): left, right, behind. So, 1/3
3 - With 9,140 people at the game, you have a 1/9,140 chance. Two times in one game = 1/18,280

Multiply -- 1/4 x 1/3 x 1/18,280 = 00.0000099%

??????

Is that even close? The very idea is mind boggling to me.