Want to be a successful minor league baseball team? You'd better be ready to combine one part Babe Ruth and one part PT Barnum. The Grand Rapids based West Michigan Whitecaps do that better than just about any team - like the one time when an elephant threw out the first pitch.

In 2005 then-Whitecaps catcher Chris Robinson appeared on ESPN2's Cold Pizza (remember that show?!) to demonstrate how to catch a ball hurled by an elephant.

Laura the Elephant threw three pitches - the first was a wild pitch soaring over Chris's head. The second was caught but would likely have been called a ball. Finally on her third toss she delivers a solid strike.

As for catcher Chris Robinson, 8 years after this video he made it to the Big Show, debuting in the Major Leagues in 2013 with the San Diego Padres.

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