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Ever caught a foul/home run ball?

galaxy27galaxy27 Posts: 7,113 ✭✭✭✭✭
I reckon I've attended 150-200 MLB games in my lifetime. To date, I've never walked out of a baseball stadium with cowhide unless I paid for it. It's at the top of the bucket list -- very near feeding sharks in a chain mail suit. But I digress.

I've come very close a number of times, but two anecdotes stand out:

1) Circa 1992. Arlington Stadium with four buddies from college. Rangers vs. Yankees. Seats were approximately 10 rows behind the New York dugout on the third base side. Dion James (!) up to bat. He swung lefty, so my awareness was heightened. Sure enough, here it came: a liner headed toward the general vicinity of my bare palm. I practically had the curtain call planned out before the ball got to me. The moment it hit my hand, let's just say that things went terribly awry. Almost simultaneously, roughly 200 pounds of force tried to enter my body from the back. That's right, one of my idiot friends on my left felt like he had a better bead on the ball, all the while I was lunging a couple of feet toward the aisle -- on my right. When I finally came to and with the ball nowhere to be found, I then set my sights on a public homicide. For about five seconds it sounded oh so appealing, but instead I decided to go purchase the largest beer available for consumption.

2) Circa 2001. Enron Field with my closest homie. Astros vs. Expos. Seats about 15 rows up in the right-field stands. Vladimir Guerrero was far and away my favorite baseball player at the time, and it stayed that way until he retired. Prior to the game, I recall thinking about how many of my limbs I've part with for a tater remnant from Vlad the Impaler. Well, it very nearly happened that day. Around the fourth inning, VG golfed one out to left and damn near hit the train. Then, three innings or so later, my dream almost came true. He connected on a pitch that looked to be about half a foot off the plate (man I miss him) and sent it for a ride -- in my direction. The ball ultimately tailed far enough away that it prevented my genitals from scraping the heads of about three rows worth of people. I immediately -- and I mean immediately -- turned to my friend and asked how much he thought it would take. "A lot," he said. "Look." I quickly turned and witnessed a pathetic sight. Not only did the Houston fan who caught the ball not throw it back (defying raucous chants), but he got up, cupped the ball with both hands, and acted like he was a running back who just found a crease. He literally left the game, and I literally threw up in my own mouth a little. My friend then turned to me in jest and said, "At this point, only thing I can think of is to follow him to the parking lot, kick his ass and take the ball." As I bolted from my seat murmuring "that's the best idea I've heard in a long time," my amigo grabbed my shirt and told me that I had to let it go. 'Twas painful, but I complied.

Okay, brethren, let's read it. Who here has returned home with a free souvenir? Or came painstakingly close?

Comments

  • MGLICKERMGLICKER Posts: 7,995 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Okay, brethren, let's read it. Who here has returned home with a free souvenir? Or came painstakingly close? >>



    Shared this story before. In the very early 1970's my dad took my brother and me to a Tigers game. We managed to score right behind the visitors dugout, seats. Billy Martin was picking up the BP balls and when my dad told him what a great job he was doing managing the team, Martin tossed him a ball.

  • pocketpiececommemspocketpiececommems Posts: 5,723 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I don't remember the date but I went to take some pictures of David Cone pitching for the Royals. I was sitting by the steps about 10 rows behind the Royals dugout. Alan Trammel hit a high foul ball that bounced on the steps and landed in the seat in front of me. I reached down and got it. This year I got a home run ball that was hit in batting practice by Billy Butler.
  • BarndogBarndog Posts: 20,454 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Fenway Park, September 13, 1980. Mike Torrez (Boston) pitched to Oscar Gamble (NYY). Foul ball to left. I leaped on it first, was pig-piled upon, but came out victorious. The Sox lost that day 4-3. Winning pitcher was Tommy John and Torrez took the loss.

    Still have the ball.
  • wrestlingcardkingwrestlingcardking Posts: 4,555 ✭✭✭✭
    I have no idea how many games I have been to but only a few a year since the closest park is about 270 miles south of me (San Francisco). On a trip to Chicago I was at "The Cell" and got a homer BP ball and then a foul ball in about the 7th inning. This year I went to a Nationals game against the Brewers and got the attention of Garth Iorg as he lived in my town when I was a kid and he gave me a ball inscribed to my nephew and it was my nephew's birthday. In the 9th inning of the game a foul ball came to me and I got it. My coworkers got up and went to the bathroom so they were surprised when they came back. I was at the Chicago game alone as my girlfriend was at a class and I went to the game to kill some time......almost all games there is someone with me but perhaps my secret is to fly solo.
    BUYING Frank Gotch T229 Kopec
    Looking to BUY n332 1889 SF Hess cards and high grade cards from 19th century especially. "Once you have wrestled everything else in life is easy" Dan Gable
  • PiggsPiggs Posts: 1,934 ✭✭✭✭
    Caught one at a Mariner game, two outs in the 9th, Tim Salmon fouled off a Jeff Nelson pitch and I caught it on a hop after it hit the walkway. Also had a Edgar Martinez foul go off my hands and into the lap of the woman sitting next to me. Ugh.
  • DrBusterDrBuster Posts: 5,301 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Just a minor league foul ball at the Augusta Green Jackets, probably 12 years ago. Was taking some b&w pics of the game for an art project, talking with one of the stadium girls there selling beer in the stands, had my camera and my glove. Guy pops a foul ball up over the 3rd base line/dugout where we were. Didn't move or miss a beat, flipped my glove over while still putting my beer order in, ball dropped right in, barely moved my arm. Whole stadium, probably 500 people there, plus the teams, all gave me a clap. Was a sweet catch, impressed myself with it.
  • mlbfan2mlbfan2 Posts: 3,115 ✭✭✭
    My girlfriend almost got one! image
    image
  • ernie11ernie11 Posts: 1,899 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Never caught one, but I was at a game way out beyond the right field wall and in foul territory, and someone hit a screamer in my direction. All I could see was the ball headed at me and getting larger and larger and it barely curved at the end and missed me by about 8 feet. Cool experience watching it.
  • perkdogperkdog Posts: 29,361 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Nope
  • FavreFan1971FavreFan1971 Posts: 3,105 ✭✭✭
    I caught the first homerun of the 2002 Brewers season. Alex Ochoa. Went with a coworker who had the isle seat. I had the 2nd seat. Ochoa hit the ball into the bullpen and it bounced all the way back 10 rows across the row. My coworker ran for the ball and boxed a guy out as I swooped in and grabbed it.

    Summer 2006 we are a section past 3rd base sitting in row five in the first four seats. My Dad is in seat one and I am in seat two with my four year old daughter on my lap. Ryan Freel screams a liner right at my Dad's open toed sandal foot. On the fly it hit me Dad's foot and fell behind the seat in front of him. I saw nothing as I was covering up my daughter by lying on top of her as I put her down by my feet. She grabs the ball in front of her and I pick her up like the Lion King and show her to the crowd holding the ball. One of my proud Dad moments.

    Summer 2012 we are sitting top deck in center field. Nyjer Morgan is warming up his arm between innings. My now 10 year old daughter waves her hands for the ball and Nyjer tosses it up, way up toward us. Some D'bag Cardinal fan runs into me and my daughter to try and steal the ball. I got a hand on it and wedged it between the railing and cement while elbowing said D'bag. Gave the ball to my daughter.

    Here she is with Nyjer in the background.

    image
  • StingrayStingray Posts: 8,843 ✭✭✭
    I got a foul ball that landed in a walkway by our seats at Tiger Stadium in 1979. Then in 1999 I took my then 2 1/2 year old daughter to the second to last game at Tiger Stadium in 1999. We got a ball that came into our section during batting practice.
  • SDSportsFanSDSportsFan Posts: 5,086 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Closest I ever came was at the game in San Diego in 1982 where Fergie Jenkins struck out Garry Templeton for his 3,000th career K. I was sitting behind the 3rd base dugout when a foul ball came my way. I reached back for it, but the ball hit off the top of my glove and hit the woman sitting behind me in her knee. She wasn't too happy, but she was ok.

    Steve
  • baseballfanbaseballfan Posts: 5,450 ✭✭✭
    got a couple in old tiger stadium during the late 90's when not many people were there. the one I remember is the foul straight back I caught off chris hoiles bat.

    no time to react just catch it
    Fred

    collecting RAW Topps baseball cards 1952 Highs to 1972. looking for collector grade (somewhere between psa 4-7 condition). let me know what you have, I'll take it, I want to finish sets, I must have something you can use for trade.

    looking for Topps 71-72 hi's-62-53-54-55-59, I have these sets started

  • Dave99BDave99B Posts: 8,332 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Caught a few HRs in Spring Training, in Peoria (last one was off the bat of now M's 1st base coach Chris Woodward).

    During approx 150-175 major league games, I've touched 3 foul balls .... but sadly, all got away. image

    I did go to a game in the Kingdome once, with a friend who is 6' 6". Little Joey Cora popped up a high, soft foul ball down the 3rd base line, and my buddy Doug caught it with one hand. It was to date Doug's first and only MLB game ... unfair!

    Dave
    Always looking for original, better date VF20-VF35 Barber quarters and halves, and a quality beer.
  • mknezmknez Posts: 1,991 ✭✭✭
    Nope image

    ------
    stupid print dots

  • larryallen73larryallen73 Posts: 6,055 ✭✭✭
    Went to a ton of Dodger games summers during college so late 80's/early 90's.

    Got several during BP as we often sat in the left field bleachers. Getting there early, back then, there weren't many people out there so was pretty easy to get balls. However, those were pre-game.

    Been close to foul balls and home runs countless times but still never caught my own during a game.

    One game I was there with my cousin who is like my brother. We were off the third base line about even with the third base bag. Maybe 15 rows up. I think it was Rafael Ramirez of the Braves hit a little foul ball. My cousin caught it. Since I was the family sports memorabilia collector I assume I was taking it home. Then he gave it to the little kid sitting behind us.

    Another time at Shea Stadium - about 1998 I would say. Dodgers v. Mets. We were sitting in right field, deep and pretty high up. Butch Husky, I believe it was, hit one up there. All but one of us were big sports fans and we all reached up to grab it. My other cousin, the non sports fan of the group, didn't stand up and the ball literally, and softly, fell into his lap. Lol!

    A few years ago at ATT there was a controversial homerun/foul ball hit by a Giant. I don't remember his name and I don't remember if they determined it to be fair or foul. It was right down the first base line. We were walking across that area near the foul line on top of the wall. It's like a bridge/walkway area. The ball brushed my finger tips and they hurt for a week but I didn't catch it.

  • telephoto1telephoto1 Posts: 4,713 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I caught a foul ball at a Peoria Chiefs game (STL's current low A team) but the closest I've ever come at Busch was a foul ball that went over my reach, apparently bounced off a seat 2-3 rows behind me, came back and hit me almost squarely between the shoulder blades. Someone in the row behind me and to my left got it... and at that point I didn't care. Ouch. Had a nice bruise there for a while.

    RIP Mom- 1932-2012
  • TabeTabe Posts: 5,920 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Never gotten one at a major league game. My wife has gotten two at Spokane Indians games and I've gotten one. My story:

    A few years back, they had a much shorter net behind home plate than the current version. I was standing in the aisle next to my seat, stretching my legs. Somebody bunted a ball foul and popped it up. It floated over the net ever so slowwwwwwwwwwwwly. Right to me. Couldn't have come any more directly or any more softly if somebody had tossed the ball underhand to me.

    And I dropped it.

    I was able to grab ti real quick but man was that embarrassing. My friend who sits in front of us (a season ticketholder like me) gives me crap about that at least four or five times a season.
  • flcardtraderflcardtrader Posts: 788 ✭✭✭
    Two short stories.....

    My Mom and Dad used to take my friends and I to see the Pawtucket Red Sox for my birthday. It was either 77 or 78 when I turned 10 or 11. I was gabbing with one of my friends to the left of me and, <thunk>, a foul ball bounced off of the seat to the right of me and up a few rows to someone who nabbed it. Never have I been that close but so far away from a foul ball!

    I now take my son to spring training and regular season games. We get there 2 hours before game time when the gates open and camp out in right field waiting for the balls to come down the line during batting practice. Each time, my son and I walk out of the park with at least 1 ball and quite often I find myself shagging them and am able to give away a few to the kids running around like screaming meemies. Lots of fun but technically, not a foul/HR ball.
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