Foul Ball etiquette

[Mark17]

I just watched the incident where Donald Driver tossed his shoe into the stands and a woman outwrestled a kid for it. It reminded me of a situation I found myself in, back in 1985 at the Metrodome.

I was in the 2nd deck, behind home plate just to the third-base side, in the first row. There was a walkway right in front of me. I was 27 years old and had my glove with me. Anyway, George Brett peeled a foul ball back up to my section, about 8 seats to my right. I had plenty of time to react, and could very easily have simply stood up, strolled over a few steps, and caught the ball in front of whatever fan was sitting there. I wouldn't have had to wrestle anyone, climb over anybody, etc. Just walk over, catch it, and walk back to my seat.

I didn't do it at the time because I felt the ball wasn't hit "to me." Was I a chump in not catching it, or was just sitting there and letting someone else get it the right thing to do?

[P.S........ George, if you're out there, and want to give me some stuff for being nice, that would be cool.......]

:)

[scottanservitz]

You know, you have the right to go for a ball whenever you want. What I think as an adult, if a ball is thrown into the stands for a kid, I think it should be left for the kid. I've seen adults push kids over for balls and to me that is wrong. People get crazy over an $8 baseball.....

[Rob L]

Wow. I hadn't heard about this until your post. I watched it and was pissed. That lady really thinks it was meant for her? Jeez, what a buffoon. Anyways, props to Donald Driver for fixing the situation. A classy move and great gesture!!

[sox83cubs84]

You know, you have the right to go for a ball whenever you want. What I think as an adult, if a ball is thrown into the stands for a kid, I think it should be left for the kid. I've seen adults push kids over for balls and to me that is wrong. People get crazy over an $8 baseball.....

I am in agreement here. If the ball is live, and you don't have to shove, push, or otherwise make aggressive physical contact to get it, go for it. In the event that the ball is specifically intended for an individual (kid, military, disabled, etc.) then back off...or, if instinct gets the best of you, make it right by handing it to the intended recipient.

Dave Miedema

[godwulf]

I watched a video a while back of a little girl catching a ball that was thrown to her, and a woman just walking up and taking the ball out of her hand, then going back to her seat and laughing and chatting with her friends. If I saw something like that happen in person, I would absolutely have called an usher and made a huge scene - involving security and/or the cops if necessary. She'd have either given that ball back to the little girl, or one of us would have been escorted out of the ballpark.

As to the question asked in the OP, I think it's very situational. If you can get in front of folks without actually physically contacting them, getting in their faces, or making them move back, I don't think you're necessarily out of line or being an asshole. On the other hand, why would someone think that they had more of a right to that ball than someone sitting where it was hit? Even as old and half crippled up as I am, I will make an effort to get to a foul ball if it's been hit to where no one is sitting - but if people are there, it's theirs to field or run down, as far as I'm concerned. Not everybody has the same degree of mobility, or goes to the ballpark as frequently as you do, and that might be somebody's only chance at a souvenir that you're taking away, just because you can.

[coxfan]

I think there are two basic rules here:

1) No physical aggression.

2) Once a ball comes out of the playing field, it becomes the property of the first person to control it. If they throw it to someone else, it becomes the intended recipient's property because it's a gift from the owner. It's no longer a free-for-all ball, and anyone so treating it is stealing. That applies also thrown by players to intended recipients, since that player's understood to be representing the ball's owner (the club or league).

There was a detailed documentary that my wife and I saw about the contested HR milestone ball hit by Barry Bonds. (The one where one of the claimants paid around $600,000 in legal fees and got only about half that in his share of the court-ordered auction.) In the documentary it showed the judge in the lawsuit holding a symposium on the legal aspects of ownership of a game-used ball. I don't think they reached any firm consensus, but I think the rules above are accepted by most.

[flaco1801]

Willie Mays night at Shea Stadium 1973?...I handed Willie a clean ball i had caught during batting practice, i caught earlier in the year ( i was a vendor 70-75). He was exiting his limo and i handed him the ball as he got out...He pretended to sign as people took photos...I was asking for the ball and he ignored me...He walked thru the glass entry doors, turned his back, signed the ball and tossed it out in the crowd...Luckily some younger fan realized it was mine and handed it back to me...The signature prolly wouldnt pass, he was sloppy and negligent...It was the only item he signed on the way in...Wish i could find a photo of him holding the ball entering the stadium that night....He wasnt very pleasant....

[jake33]

The point of difference that I am on on this may not agree with others here.

I have had chances to jump in front of people at games for balls, but never have. Almost all the time, an unauthenticated foul baseball wouldn't hold a value to me. But after thinking of this long before this post was made, I would probably change my point of view in some cricumstances.

The 3 Circumstances where I would be a jerk and try to get ace someone out a baseball

1) Attending a World Series game
2) Attending an All Star game
3) If any of the following favorite players of mine would have pitched or hit the baseball -- Dan Johnson. Jacob Mcgee, E. hinske, or russ Branyan

And if I aced a kid in one of those situation, I would be happy to give them something(s) as compensation that they would actually be more happy with. A game used card(s) autogrpahs or whatever. I would never ace out a kid and at least not give them something THEY would want. If you are an adult, I would have no real shame then, unless you are with your kid. I don't think I am right by having select instances where I would ace someone out, but it is honest of what i would do.

Keep in mind too most games I attend are road games. I don't see many fans that are too thrilled to see a visiting fan in their stadium as it is anyway, espcially once the alcohol flows into them.

[coxfan]

This topic heading reminds me of a funny incident that happened years ago on ESPN (I forget both teams and player). An easy foul popup was hit with a runner on first and one out. The RF caught it, and thinking there were three outs, gave the ball to a little boy (aged maybe 5 or 6) in the front row.

As he trotted in, he suddenly realized there were two outs, and the runner on first had tagged up was running wild around the bases. So the RF went back to the little boy and politely asked for the ball back! The little boy gave it to him, the RF threw it back in to try to catch the runner, and the umpire (when he quit laughing) ruled fan intereference. I don't know if the little fellow got the ball back, but hopefully he did.