I finally got a foul ball tonight.

mbothner · August 22, 2008 12:34PM

It was only a minor league game but I always wanted to catch a foul ball. The game was the Potomac Nationals against the Lynchburg Hillcats.

RonBurgundy · August 22, 2008 12:36PM

Congrats! It's awesome when it happens. I got mine 8/31/2000, at The Ballpark in Arlington. Off the bat of Kenny Lofton and it sits on my desk here at home.

Ron

neenish · August 22, 2008 12:39PM

Catching any foul ball is cool. Was it bare handed, with glove or did you catch a ricochet from another fans head?

prscott933 · August 22, 2008 12:40PM

AWESOME!!! congrats!!! I got mine at a minor league game too. Colorado Springs Skysox 5/5/2004. It was "bark at the park night" my dog and and I got the ball

ripkenintheminors · August 22, 2008 12:45PM

I've grabbed a few foul balls at minor league games but all but one came with nobody else in the section I was in. The one I caught was down the left field line and I had a group of kids with me. Although we weren't right up on the field I kept warning the kids to watch out during ABs of left handed hitters. Some dude hit a rope right at the kids and I literally dove back a row (had a glove on) and snagged it. It was really instinct and more of protecting the kids I was with than anything else. FWIW I got a curtain call from the people at the park.

BobaFett72 · August 22, 2008 12:54PM

congrats! I caught a Andruw Jones Batting Practice homerun ball when the Braves were visiting the Rockies a few years back. Unfortunately some tool knocked it from glove and tackled me (no lie) we then scrambled for the ball and he stomped my hand till it rolled free. I ended up with it in the end and he got thrown out of the stadium. There was this terrified kid watching the whole thing; so I gave it to him LOL. I think there might be some of my blood on the ball....... I havent gotten one since, not even close.

ripkenintheminors · August 22, 2008 1:06PM

<< congrats! I caught a Andruw Jones Batting Practice homerun ball when the Braves were visiting the Rockies a few years back. Unfortunately some tool knocked it from glove and tackled me (no lie) we then scrambled for the ball and he stomped my hand till it rolled free. I ended up with it in the end and he got thrown out of the stadium. There was this terrified kid watching the whole thing; so I gave it to him LOL. I think there might be some of my blood on the ball....... I havent gotten one since, not even close. >>

It never ceases to amaze me what can happen when a baseball gets in the stands. Several years ago I was at a AAA game doing media work and to catch up with a player I got to know in AA ball. Before the game I was on the first base line looking over notes before another player interview when I heard "HEADS UP!". I threw my notes up to block my face and the ball grazed the side of my head right on the temple. I didn't black out completely but I remember saying to myself "Don't pass out" while seeing stars. Someone not far away saw what happened and literally dove on my feet in a scramble for the ball, grabbed the ball, then held it up in pride and ran off. At the time the stupidity of the person was the least of my worries but I was pretty ill about it after getting checked out. Lesson learned to always be alert.

At my last trip to Wrigley I got a BP ball hit off the bat of Henry Blanco. It just so happened that it made it to the left field corner where me and my wife were taking pictures. I saw a player on the field that we watched in his minor league days and he was gracious enough to toss it to me.

mbothner · August 22, 2008 1:08PM

We had front row seats. It was a 2 hop line drive. I had my 34 year old Cesar Cedeno glove on when I caught it. The best part was catching it with my son right next to me.

Texoma · August 22, 2008 1:17PM

<< It was only a minor league game but I always wanted to catch a foul ball. The game was the Potomac Nationals against the Lynchburg Hillcats.

>>

Fine photo!!! Worth another look

nightcrawler · August 22, 2008 1:20PM

Deadly, congrats

mbothner · August 22, 2008 1:58PM

There was another foul ball that was hit into the dugout and bounced to the third base coach. He flipped the ball to my son. After the game we were able to get Jared Keel from Lynchburg who hit that foul ball to sign it. The ball I got was hit by the catcher # 6 on Lynchburg. I did not see his name listed on the Lynchburg roster on their website so I am not sure who he was.

WinPitcher · August 22, 2008 2:17PM

Congrats!!

As a 12 yr old I got one at Shea and as an adult one at County stadium in Milwaukee.

The one at shea I still have, the one from Milwaukee i gave to a kid 1 row over.

I cought the one at shea on 1 hop and the other one in the air, damn near almost broke my hand!

One evening at Yankee stadium Mattingly fouled straight back into the upper deck about 5 or 6 times
and this one guy sitting 3 rows in front of me got them all!

My son was handed a ball from the A's Dave Magadan during the 7th inning of a game once.

I still remember how he reacted as he kept getting passed over as each inning ended and Magadan
must have saw the dissapointed look each time.

Steve

lawnmowerman · August 22, 2008 2:28PM

I always liked Dave Magadan. Great hitter. That guy always made contact.

It seemed he would foul off multiple pitches every at bat and then end up getting a hit

lsutigers1973 · August 22, 2008 3:25PM

Roger McDowell threw me 6 baseballs to give to my kids last year before a Braves/Mets game. Then Brian McCann hit a HR that I caught and gave to me son. We were on the second row in right centerfield next to the Braves bullpen. What a game?

lawnmowerman · August 22, 2008 3:27PM

<< Roger McDowell threw me 6 baseballs to give to my kids last year before a Braves/Mets game. Then Brian McCann hit a HR that I caught and gave to me son. We were on the second row in right centerfield next to the Braves bullpen. What a game? >>

You have 6 kids?

Finally! Somebody has more than me

Stone193 · August 22, 2008 3:38PM

I was at one of my regular trips to watch the Augusta Pirates back in 1992 and my friend was complaining about how he never got a foul ball.

Well - he finally got one - it was imbedded in the windshield of his SUV!

And - we told him not to park that close to the stands.

mike

Stone193 · August 22, 2008 3:39PM

Congratulations on the ball mb.

lsutigers1973 · August 22, 2008 3:40PM

<< You have 6 kids? >>

Actually only have two that I know of for sure. He threw us 6 balls used during Smoltz's warmup.

leadoff4 · August 22, 2008 9:45PM

I was at a Lakeland Tigers(Class A) game about 7-8 yrs. ago. I bought a grilled chicken sandwich and a Coke. I sat first row behind the visitor's(3rd base) dugout. As a sat down the leadoff batter was up to bat. On about the 2nd or 3rd pitch he got on top of a pitch and hit a high hopping foul ball way foul down toward the dugout. It was a slow hopper but high. I had just set my plate down. It took about 3 or 4 hops and I caught it or it would have hit right in the middle of my plate. I'll never forget it. I also caught one last year at the Tigers vs. Devil Rays spring game in Lakeland. I was about 8 rows up behind the first base dugout. A right hander fouled one off toward the first base line. It had lots of back spin and I was ready. I was on an aisle seat and snag it with one hand off the first bounce. I gave it to a kid who was down from Michigan with his family.

Tedw9 · August 22, 2008 9:47PM

Congrats mbothner! It must have been a thrill to snag your first ball, especially with your kid there. You should get a nice ball display to show it off and also write down all the info you can remember.

I came close once at a minor league game. After waiting in the parking lot behind home plate for about half an hour, one came flying back, bounced off the tar, off a wall, and a guy who was walking by snagged it in stride and kept walking to his car!

Speaking of catching foul balls, does anyone remember this story a few years back? I remembered seeing it on ESPN and how they were saying this guy was a first class jerk. I believe there is even footage of it out there, but I found this story which explains it pretty good.

Tool takes out kid for ball

stevek · August 23, 2008 12:11AM

The only foul ball I ever caught - Off the bat of Pete Rose at the Vet when he was a Red - I was sitting around 25 rows up right around the first base line. Just a high lazy fly ball which seem to take "forever" to "fall" into my hands - almost like surreal until you catch it, because of course until the last milisecond, you really don't know if you'll get it or not because I had had dozens of "close-calls" before. LOL

ChasingDyarMiller · August 25, 2008 4:39AM

I took my two best friends to two games (sitting in VIP seats, no less) at Camden back in 2001. In the 7th inning of the Saturday afternoon game, I went for beer for the crew; while at the bar, I noticed Jeff Conine hit a foul ball off to the first base side and thought nothing of it. I re-entered the seating area to an usher saying "You're not going to believe this," and looked up to see one of my drunk friends holding a baseball. Apparently, the ball that Conine fouled off had hit my seat and my buddy happened to bend over and pick it up, but proudly claimed that he had "caught" a foul ball. I have a picture of me holding the ball, but my buddy has the ball. . . . Ingrate!

Similar thing happened to me when I was younger and attending lots of San Antonio Dodgers games; the same friend and were sitting a few rows back from the field one night and decided to move down to a box that was right up against the fence, so that we could talk to the players. About an inning after we moved, a foul ball went up and landed directly in the seat that I had occupied earlier in the evening. A guy from my little league got to it first. I think it was a John Kruk foul ball that night. sigh.

Ironmanfan · August 25, 2008 4:55AM

my first ML foul ball was when I was a senior in college, a buddy and myself drove from Selinsgrove, PA to Baltimore's Memorial Stadium to see the Rangers & Orioles on a Thursday afternoon. The pitcher was Jon Matlack, the batter was Gary Roenicke and the date was 04/21/83..The cool thing is that this friend and I rarely talk much anymore, but we make sure to touch base with one another every 'anniversary.'
I did send the ball to Roenicke that winter and he did sign and date it on the sweet spot

Stingray · August 25, 2008 5:00AM

I have been able to snag two foul balls in my lifetime, one was during a Tigers game in 1979, it was off of Ron Leflore. The other was during a game at Tiger Stadium, the 3rd to the last game ever played there against the Royals. It was during batting practice though.

mbothner · August 25, 2008 5:39AM

I had so much fun at that game that I went online today to try to catch one more game this season. As it turns out, they are in the playoffs starting next week. Their first playoff game is Wednesday. I was able to get front row field level tickets again for $12 a ticket and they are having free burgers, hot dogs and chips. What a deal. I am really starting to like minor league baseball.

11235813 · August 25, 2008 6:30AM

Congrats!

I've probably been to over 500 major league games over the years and never caught a foul ball. Have caught about 40-50 batting practice balls, though, including Game 3 of the 2002 World Series where both my brother, my nephew, and I all caught BP home run balls within 30 minutes of each other.

jayhawke · August 25, 2008 7:01AM

I was at a spring training game a few years ago between the phillies and pirates. Rusty Kuntz was the third base coach and he walked a foul ball over to me.

lsutigers1973 · August 25, 2008 7:10AM

<< Rusty Kuntz was the third base coach and he walked a foul ball over to me. >>

You got a ball from Rusty Kuntz. OOOHHHH!!

onegaucho · August 25, 2008 9:16AM

caught my one and only foul ball at a padres game a bunch of years back when we were still playing at qualcomm. it was a foul ball off the bat of ryan klesko and it also happened to be during a no-hitter by the cards' bud smith during his rookie (and only?) season. if you ever want to see a lot of foul balls, get seats in the first section around first or third about 10-15 rows up. my buddy used to get free tickets from work all the time and we'd see a ton of balls come flying our way every game we sat there.

bdunndchi · August 25, 2008 9:22AM

bdunndchi · August 25, 2008 9:23AM

I would love to catch a foul ball. I've never even come close.

mcholke · August 25, 2008 11:28AM

Caught one at Coors Field first year it opened off the bat of Eric Young. I was down the third base line and when he hit it it did not look like it was coming my way. However, it had a lot of spin and the trajectory brought it to me in a hurry. In fact, it was on a line headed towards my face at I was able to catch it and hold on to it. Got applause from the section and seam marks in my hands for a few innings.

DrJ · August 25, 2008 12:52PM

I got one foul ball back in 1994 hit by Marquis Grissom of the Expos at a home Phillies game. The Expos in 1994 were odds on to win the world series if it wasn't for the strike.

Tabe · August 25, 2008 5:12PM

I got my first last year. My family has season tickets to the Spokane Indians, the short-season A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Lots and lots of foul balls go into the stands - but not in our area. We're right behind home plate in the box seats - best seats in the house, btw - and it's nearly impossible for a ball to land back there. Anyway, I'm standing the aisle stretching my legs when here comes this really gentle popup, right to me barely clears the screen, moving nice and slow - like somebody underhand tossed it to me. Nobody else even moves it's so directly to me.

And I dropped it.

I ended up getting the ball anyway but I sure hear about that popup every single time I go to the ballpark.

LOL.

Tabe

11235813 · August 26, 2008 1:51AM

First ever BP ball I caught was a line drive off the bat of Ryne Sandberg at Candlestick Park in the mid-80's when I was a teenager. I was hanging out down the left field line, and he hit a scorcher that kicked up off the bullpen mound. I was in a group of about ten people, stuck my glove out and closed my eyes....and heard the magical "plunk".

1989FleerBillRipkencollector · August 26, 2008 3:36AM

Congrats. That's awesome.

2 years back the foul ball hit the lady 2 rows ahead of us. They carried her out. This year our tickets are in her spot ! Glove...check.

Pittfan · August 26, 2008 6:28AM

Congrats!

I went to over 250 Pirate games back in the 70's and dont believe I had one even come close. I took my 8 year old son to a Salem Avalance game and he got one. We were the only ones in the section and he took his sweet ol time walking over and picked it up like no big deal!!!

dontippet · August 26, 2008 7:31AM

No foul ball here, but back in '98 my brother and I took in some late season Cardinal games. We would get left field bleacher seats hoping to catch homerun #62 off of McGwire. Our timing was off, but homerun #63 landed about 10 rows directly in front of us. The guy was escorted out of the bleacher section by the security guards that would line every aisle when McGwire would come up to bat. What a magical moment. The guy sold the ball for $50,000 a few months later.

jrinck · August 26, 2008 8:34AM

<< No foul ball here, but back in '98 my brother and I took in some late season Cardinal games. We would get left field bleacher seats hoping to catch homerun #62 off of McGwire. Our timing was off, but homerun #63 landed about 10 rows directly in front of us. The guy was escorted out of the bleacher section by the security guards that would line every aisle when McGwire would come up to bat. What a magical moment. The guy sold the ball for $50,000 a few months later. >>

I wonder how much that would sell for now. I'd offer him a brand new Official National League ball, and he'd have to throw in five bucks.

dontippet · August 26, 2008 8:42AM

<< 

<< No foul ball here, but back in '98 my brother and I took in some late season Cardinal games. We would get left field bleacher seats hoping to catch homerun #62 off of McGwire. Our timing was off, but homerun #63 landed about 10 rows directly in front of us. The guy was escorted out of the bleacher section by the security guards that would line every aisle when McGwire would come up to bat. What a magical moment. The guy sold the ball for $50,000 a few months later. >>

I wonder how much that would sell for now. I'd offer him a brand new Official National League ball, and he'd have to throw in five bucks. >>

As I was typing earlier, I was thinking the same thing. I wonder if his 70th ball would go for $50k now. It originally went for around $3m.

I finally got a foul ball tonight.

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