I caught a home run ball from JD Martinez! Now what??

[packs]

If you can find a replay of the home run and find yourself on video retrieving the ball, that would be pretty iron clad. I assume they filmed the home run.

[scooter729]

Originally Posted by packs

If you can find a replay of the home run and find yourself on video retrieving the ball, that would be pretty iron clad. I assume they filmed the home run.

It was shown briefly on TV before the shot cut back to Martinez circling the bases - I did a screen grab which is attached here. I quickly had done this for my friends who were with me, and they are the three in the red boxes to the left. I'm the one on the right with a dark red jacket - can't really see my face in this shot, though I'm holding the ball up. I'll see if I can find an HD version and freeze frame it a bit better.

[Jim65]

If you plan to keep it, then you know its legit. Put it in a nice display with the stub and a label explaining what it is.

If you plan to sell it, its next to impossible to prove it is what you say it is.Even with pics, someone still has to take your word thats the exact ball and not pulling a switch.

Congrats on the catch.

[ramram]

Personally, I'd give it to the kid nearest to me at the game.

Rob M

[scooter729]

Thanks all - I do plan to keep it and have no intention of selling, and probably will jot a note on the ball (or on a sticky note) explaining what it is. But just wanted to make sure since this isn't my specialty, that there isn't something else I should do since it just happened.

And my 7 year old is pretty excited about it as well, so that's the kid I'm sharing the ball with!

[ramram]

Perfect!

Rob M

[bigfanNY]

My understanding is that if you catch a home run ball at a major league park in a real city like NY you ask the usher / security guard for help getting it authenticated. Then someone comes and takes you to authenticate the ball. Then you have ironclad proof even if you keep it. If JD goes on to have a HOF career then your kids or grandkids have the sticker and not just the story.
I understand that Boston is a third rate city but even so they have a customer service desk where they give buttons and stuff to kids who come for their first visit etc. Ask them for next time. Congrats on the pick up.. always cool to bring home a ball used in a game.
J

[scooter729]

Originally Posted by bigfanNY

My understanding is that if you catch a home run ball at a major league park in a real city like NY you ask the usher / security guard for help getting it authenticated. Then someone comes and takes you to authenticate the ball. Then you have ironclad proof even if you keep it. If JD goes on to have a HOF career then your kids or grandkids have the sticker and not just the story.
I understand that Boston is a third rate city but even so they have a customer service desk where they give buttons and stuff to kids who come for their first visit etc. Ask them for next time. Congrats on the pick up.. always cool to bring home a ball used in a game.
J

Thanks for the advice! I have been so busy attending championship parades the past 20 years I never had the chance to learn this.

My season ticket package is in a prime spot for HR balls so it may come in handy to know for another time - such as late October....

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by ramram

Personally, I'd give it to the kid nearest to me at the game.

Rob M

you're very nice. I would kick the ball away from the kid, spill drinks and do whatever was fair to get the ball. In fact I did just that in 1980. Sitting behind home plate a foul ball off Lenny Dykstra's bat, thrown By Fernando Valenzuela went high in the air. It hit my had and scooted below me a few seats over where 2 kids were sitting. I got down on the ground and did a swipe kick using my foot as a scoop. Spilled two drinks and got the ball. Poor kids. They have to learn as I did many many games as a young kid never getting a ball.

I bought everyone drinks of course and sitting behind me was Don Newcombe. I had him sign the ball. All is fair in love and baseballs in the stands.

Nice job getting the HR Ball!!!!! I would get JD to sign it at some point and keep it with the rest of your stuff.

[mcgwirecom]

Keep as much PROOF as you can because you may want to sell it someday. Several years back I bought a HR ball from a guy because he had kept a lot of the proof. It was a HR hit by Aaron Hill and he had completed his second CYCLE in two weeks! The seller managed to catch it in a section that there were not too many people in and provided a ticket for that section, a photo of him wearing the exact clothing he caught the ball in. I was able to match it against the video of the game. Plus I had him write a notarized letter that listed the events of the game.

[Hxcmilkshake]

Originally Posted by Fuddjcal

you're very nice. I would kick the ball away from the kid, spill drinks and do whatever was fair to get the ball. In fact I did just that in 1980. Sitting behind home plate a foul ball off Lenny Dykstra's bat, thrown By Fernando Valenzuela went high in the air. It hit my had and scooted below me a few seats over where 2 kids were sitting. I got down on the ground and did a swipe kick using my foot as a scoop. Spilled two drinks and got the ball. Poor kids. They have to learn as I did many many games as a young kid never getting a ball.



I bought everyone drinks of course and sitting behind me was Don Newcombe. I had him sign the ball. All is fair in love and baseballs in the stands.



Nice job getting the HR Ball!!!!! I would get JD to sign it at some point and keep it with the rest of your stuff.

Just wow....

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[scooter729]

Thanks to all for your thoughts and advice - I'll make sure to save copies of the screen grabs I was able to get from the TV footage, along with the pictures I took while at the game that night.

I certainly won't be selling it, as my 7 year old has been pretty happy the past few days about having a HR ball from one of his favorite players. (In case you hadn't seen it, I posted this thread last month about his chance to meet a bunch of Sox players.) I will shoot to have JD sign it next chance we get, so that will leave us with a nice souvenir.

[scooter729]

Originally Posted by Hxcmilkshake

Just wow....

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

Maybe we can hope it's just a joke, since Dykstra didn't start playing until 1985? Just hoping...

[bigfanNY]

I dont think a joke. Ever been to a Mets game? Notice both of the responses saying dont get item signed are again Mets fans.They are as a group very different from other baseball fans.
Two balls below the first the Miguel Cabrera game used for a single that has MLB sticker. As I said earlier I like that the ball tells it's own story.
Second ball was tossed up to me in the left field stands by Martin Prado when he was with the Yanks. The next spring when he was with the Marlins they played an exhibition game vs the Jax Suns before heading north to start the season. I was in Jax helping out some family and had my son mail me the ball to have Prado sign it. Waiting outside I see Prado emerge take ball out of my pocket and Giancarlo Stanton takes ball from my hand and signs it. (Iwas not gonna be that guy who told the highest paid ballplayer at that time he could not sign the ball) then Mr. Prado walks up I tell him story he laughs and signs it as well. And I really enjoy getting in person signatures. So any unsigned game used items I have I always look to get them signed just my preferance. And the secondary market dose value signed game used items higher than unsigned ones. So a win win.
Hope you get to share the moment JD signs the ball with your son. Both of you will remember it.
J.

[ramram]

Originally Posted by Fuddjcal

you're very nice. I would kick the ball away from the kid, spill drinks and do whatever was fair to get the ball. In fact I did just that in 1980. Sitting behind home plate a foul ball off Lenny Dykstra's bat, thrown By Fernando Valenzuela went high in the air. It hit my had and scooted below me a few seats over where 2 kids were sitting. I got down on the ground and did a swipe kick using my foot as a scoop. Spilled two drinks and got the ball. Poor kids. They have to learn as I did many many games as a young kid never getting a ball.

Wow. I've got no words for this.

Rob M

[conor912]

Why not just write on the ball the date and who hit it and leave it at that....a cool family artifact. Why does everything need to be authenticated and hologrammed and turn into a commodity?

[packs]

Originally Posted by conor912

Why not just write on the ball the date and who hit it and leave it at that....a cool family artifact. Why doesn't everything need to be authenticated and hologrammed and turn into a commodity?

You'd have to start society over again for the answer to that question to be any different.

[w7imel]

Originally Posted by ramram

Wow. I've got no words for this.

Rob M

Hey Rob.... Fudd did the right thing!!! These kids had to learn same lessons in life we all had to. Too many expect everything to be handed to them. If you want a ball handed to you sit by the ball boys. If not be prepared for survival of the fittest!!!!

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by w7imel

Hey Rob.... Fudd did the right thing!!! These kids had to learn same lessons in life we all had to. Too many expect everything to be handed to them. If you want a ball handed to you sit by the ball boys. If not be prepared for survival of the fittest!!!!

LOL, Thanks Michael. I was at 50 games in the 4th row before the age of 13. Went early, took SX-70 Polaroids of everybody and they all wanted to see the picture develop in front of their eyes Garvey, Cey, Messersmith, Russel et all. Do you think they ever tossed me a ball? Hell no. Do you think I didn't get run over every time a ball came by me? Sitting next to Casey Stengel for an entire game in the 105 degree heat, do you think he handed me a ball. hell no.

These kids need to build some moxie.

You get them as they come to you. If kids are in the way so be it. I did't even notice the kids or the spilled drinks until I had the ball. I thought I was nice refilling their drinks.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by Fuddjcal

It hit my had and scooted below me a few seats over where 2 kids were sitting.

Dammit, now due to your ambiguous typo I can't decided if it hit you in the head or the hand...

EDIT: Crap I just realized maybe it hit your DAD

[Fuddjcal]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Dammit, now due to your ambiguous typo I can't decided if it hit you in the head or the hand...

EDIT: Crap I just realized maybe it hit your DAD

So a couple of typos...Yes hit MY HAND and rolled below me and over a couple seats. And I didn't take pics or write the date down, but it was the "1980's". May have been a 15 run deficit the dodger came back from, but we left in the 4th inning, like usual. Get hammered and leave early just like Dennis Martinez No Hitter. Left in the 6th.

AND YES, I would do the same thing today to get the ball. Another time, a Mark McGwire homer hit me in the hand, missed it again, and I dove after it. Hit the ball and it flew away.

I tore my shoulder and left bleeding. LOL. Was not the same for 10 years Does that help?

If you caught the ball (or retrieved it) and don’t ever plan to sell it then why be concerned with “proof”. Print out a pic of the screenshot you showed in the thread. Keep the ticket stub if you have it and print out the box score or cut it out of a Boston newspaper. That’s what I’d do