Have you ever got a ball at a game before?

[Jcfowler6]

I thought it would be fun to share stories about getting balls at a game before.

It took me 38 years to get my first ball and today my son and I got 3! It is truly awesome. The best part was sharing in it with my son.

[steve B]

Wow, 3 at one game! sounds like a great day at the ballpark.

My only one is minor league and a bit odd/embarassing. Long foul to right, where I was at a concession stand that I picked for the short line. I heard the crowd, turned around to see the play and the ball was coming right towards me. Of course, I have my hands full with a tray of food and drinks. Ball deflects off the hand of the guy just leaving in front of me hits my stomach and lands in the tray. Not the smoothest "catch", but I'll take it.

Steve B

[slidekellyslide]

Never at a Major League game...I've only attended about 30 of those...but I've gotten plenty of foul balls/homers at the local minor league games.

[Jcfowler6]

Originally Posted by steve B

Wow, 3 at one game! sounds like a great day at the ballpark.

My only one is minor league and a bit odd/embarassing. Long foul to right, where I was at a concession stand that I picked for the short line. I heard the crowd, turned around to see the play and the ball was coming right towards me. Of course, I have my hands full with a tray of food and drinks. Ball deflects off the hand of the guy just leaving in front of me hits my stomach and lands in the tray. Not the smoothest "catch", but I'll take it.

Steve B

I'd take it how ever it comes. No points for style.

[freakhappy]

3 balls! That is awesome! I bet your son was super pumped about grabbing three of those suckers. Was it during the game or during batting practice?

My only experience coming close to grabbing a foul ball was when I was in Detroit three years ago watching the Tigers and the A's play and Sean Casey hit one up in our section and the ball was literally coming straight down at me and when it was spiraling down, it started to tail over a bit and I had a decision to make...do I jump over for it (because I knew a family of three were next to me) or just let it go and not make a fool of myself? Well, I let it go and let the youngster catch it and he was excited and I was okay with letting it go...but man, it would have been nice to have one. One day I'll stick my hand out and snatch it...youngster or not

Mike

[Bilko G]

That's very cool, congrats to you and your son!!!


Ive never caught a ball at an MLB game but when the Pacific Coast League was in Calgary, Alberta back in the 80's and 90s, we were the AAA team of the Seattle Mariners and as a kid, in the age range of 10-15 years old, me and my friends would often wait (probably 30 or 40 times a year or more, lol) in the HR territory at these AAA games with our Baseball gloves to catch the HRs and some foul balls that would come into the field beyond the stadium.

The best HR balls i remember getting were from Danny Tartabull, Tino Martinez and Alex Rodriguez. All players that played their AAA ball in Calgary and i still own those balls to this day (they are somewhere around here, lol). I even got the Tino Martinez ball autographed.

[Jcfowler6]

Originally Posted by Bilko G

That's very cool, congrats to you and your son!!!


Ive never caught a ball at an MLB game but when the Pacific Coast League was in Calgary, Alberta back in the 80's and 90s, we were the AAA team of the Seattle Mariners and as a kid, in the age range of 10-15 years old, me and my friends would often wait (probably 30 or 40 times a year) in the HR territory at theses AAA games with our Baseball gloves to catch the HRs and some foul balls that would come into the field beyond the stadium.

The best HR balls i remember getting were from Danny Tartabull, Tino Martinez and Alex Rodriguez. All players that played their AAA ball in Calgary and i still own those balls to this day (they are somewhere are here, lol). I even got the Tino Martinez ball autographed.

Those are some cool memories there. Good stuff.

[Jcfowler6]

Yeah it was BP. Jeff Karstens threw one to my son. I caught a line drive one hopper. Then another Pirate player was running by and he just flipped one up to my 10 year old as he was passing by. I can't for the life of me think of who he was.

Then Jeff Karstens and Joel Hanrahan came over later and autographed a souvenir ball my boy had. It was a very cool night.

They had Huey Lewis and the News playing after the game with fireworks mixed in. Definitely a special night. My son fell asleep holding onto one of the balls.

He had his closes for this game picked out and neatly folded on his dresser for two weeks.

Priceless night...

[Tomman1961]

Ted Williams Day at Shea. Sat behind Red Sox dugout. About the 8th inning a Met pops out to Garciapara for the last out. While looking down at my scorecard my wife hands me that ball he threw into the stands.

[Tomman1961]

Sort of. July 1999 at Shea . Mets vs. Red Sox. My family of 4 was sitting on the Red Sox dugout. Ted Williams Day. Before the 10th inning was starting, I was staring down at my scorecard. Then my wife says to me:"Here". She hands me a 1999 Fenway All Star Game Ball. After infield, before the inning started, the Sox third base coach noted my 2 sleeping children. He flipped the infield practice ball to my wife and said something like-great kids,nice family.

[Collectorsince62]

My son caught his first and only foul ball during game 7 of the 2004 NLCS at Busch stadium. I had always told him that if a ball came near us but he couldn't reach it, to go to the ground, because that's where the ball usually ends up. Following my advice, a ball comes into our row, but a few seats over. Before I realized what had happened, he emerges from the ground with the ball clutched tightly in his hands.

Years earlier, my two sons were at the railing during BP asking players for balls with no success. Jose Lind from the Pirates is watching them, but not complying. When BP ends, the boys are walking sadly back to our seats when Lind tosses one right in front of them. He laughed and game me a thumbs up, they immediately nominated him as their favorite Pirate.

I got my first foul ball this year at a Cardinals game off the bat of Brewer catcher Jonathan Lucroy. While it was in the air, I told myself - don't drop it, don't drop it . . . I dropped it. But I managed to grab it quickly and avoid an error.

[Mark]

Back when I was a very little kid at Forbes Field. Jerry May hit it into the stands between first and right field. I vividly remember getting the autos, too.

[Runscott]

I caught a bp home run back around 1990 at a Ranger's game - I had to reach over the fence and catch it blind.

Also caught a foul ball hit by Geno Petralli at a Ranger's game back around '91 - it went straight back through a stairwell. I saw it headed toward a wall, so I slid feet first with my hands ready to catch it on the rebound. Some little turd holding an ice cream cone bent over in my 'path' just as it was reaching me, so I had no choice but to take him out. The kid's ice cream went flying and I successfully made the catch. I felt bad and was going to give him the ball, but he started cursing me (a 10-yr old) and several adults gave me 'the evil eye'. Well, I walked away with the ball and handed it to my girlfriend. Some jackass usher came over and took it from her. Perhaps I'm a dick - I don't know.

Years later (around 2000?), I was in the outfield at Fulton County stadium during batting practice. I couldn't catch anything and finally gave up and went back to my seat. While I was whining, the very last batter took his very last swing and nearly hit me with the ball. It was basically my ball, but some old man tried to jump into the fray, so I gave him the same treatment I gave that 10-yr old back in '91. This time I kept the ball.

So, yes - I have two balls.

[packs]

Back in, I think it was 1999, I'm hazy on the year, the Yankees were doing this thing where everyone on the team threw a signed baseball into the stands at every home game during the month of September. I happened to catch one tossed by Chris Chambliss. When I looked at the baseball more closely, I realized it was a special September to Remember offical American League baseball. I have NEVER seen another one.

Has anyone ever seen one? I still have it except now it is also signed by Willie Randolph and Whitey Ford.