Have you ever caught a MLB foul ball? Would you "give to the kid?

[sox83cubs84]

...or have anyone yelling "Give it to the kid" if you buy it from the team.

I agree with you on that point. I get fans who do that to me over BP baseballs I catch.

Dave M.

[G1X]

Originally Posted by coxfan View Post
...or have anyone yelling "Give it to the kid" if you buy it from the team

I agree with you on that point. I get fans who do that to me over BP baseballs I catch.

Dave M.

+1

I know that I probably sound like an old curmudgeon on this subject, but nothing annoys me more at a ball game than to hear folks shout at an adult to give the ball to a kid (more annoying than pressuring someone to throw an opposing team's home run ball back on the field). The person catching the ball might have a son, daughter, grand kid, nephew, niece, etc. that will end up with the ball. Or maybe they simply want to keep the ball for themselves.

As an avid fan who attends a number of games each year, I have nabbed my fair share of foul balls at minor league games (and shared a few, by the way), but I have never been able to come up with a ball at a major league game. If I ever get lucky at a big league game, I can assure you that I will feel like a kid all over again with no intention of sharing my souvenir with any other kid at the ball park. One of the allures for me in going to games is to escape from my adult life, so let me enjoy it without booing me for wanting to keep a $10 baseball.

Sorry if I got a bit off of the main topic . . .

Mark Hayne

[xsentrixsupra]

Originally Posted by coxfan View Post
...or have anyone yelling "Give it to the kid" if you buy it from the team


+1

I know that I probably sound like an old curmudgeon on this subject, but nothing annoys me more at a ball game than to hear folks shout at an adult to give the ball to a kid (more annoying than pressuring someone to throw an opposing team's home run ball back on the field). The person catching the ball might have a son, daughter, grand kid, nephew, niece, etc. that will end up with the ball. Or maybe they simply want to keep the ball for themselves.

As an avid fan who attends a number of games each year, I have nabbed my fair share of foul balls at minor league games (and shared a few, by the way), but I have never been able to come up with a ball at a major league game. If I ever get lucky at a big league game, I can assure you that I will feel like a kid all over again with no intention of sharing my souvenir with any other kid at the ball park. One of the allures for me in going to games is to escape from my adult life, so let me enjoy it without booing me for wanting to keep a $10 baseball.

Sorry if I got a bit off of the main topic . . .

Mark Hayne

I agree with you 100% I'd say a lot of people who catch foul balls and what not are just fans and probably want to keep it. I would do just the same as you............now, I do have a problem when you see those guys on SportsCenter Not Top 10 diving over a kid who is trying to catch it just so they can or snatching the ball away from a kid. As long as you aren't that guy, you're ok to keep it :D

[metsbats]

I agree with you 100% I'd say a lot of people who catch foul balls and what not are just fans and probably want to keep it. I would do just the same as you............now, I do have a problem when you see those guys on SportsCenter Not Top 10 diving over a kid who is trying to catch it just so they can or snatching the ball away from a kid. As long as you aren't that guy, you're ok to keep it :D


+1 again.

In 2010 I finally got a foul ball at Citi Field (never got one at Shea). I waited for that moment for almost 40 years. Those kids can wait too:D

[coxfan]

I'm grateful to the Rangers and Braves for holding out some game-used items and selling them in their shops. Thanks to that, I have a nice collection of balls, plus a couple of bases and bats, associated with significant events (eg postseason games; cycle games) and significant players.

Without the team shops I'd be out of luck. I went to minor-league games in the early 1960's and saw Pete Rose play in them; but never got a foul. (A friend got one and brought it over to play catch with me, but wouldn't let me trade for it!) I got my first minor-league foul around age 40. (It rolled under my car and was missed by the ball-hawks).

My only "caught" MLB ball for me was a BP ball from the last days of Dodger Spring training at historic Vero Beach (Which had been established 60 years earlier by Branch Rickey to maintain his extensive farm system, and protect black players from local segregation). Joe Torre was supervising that BP, which was a nice detail.

But without the shops, I could forget getting MLB items. I'd never trust secondary sources for balls.

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

Yah honestly I would rather go buy it anyway. I don't really enjoy looks I get trying to get something. I get looks like I am a 40 year old ballhawk with my pockets bulging with baseballs. It really isn't worth it.

The only reason I still try to get one is because I have a total of zero ever. I don't see what the difference is...one of these days I am going to body slam a Miller Park Ballhawk for one(watch out).

I don't think they are greedy...if anything the team is telling them to keep them.

[Cubman15]

Originally Posted by coxfan View Post
...or have anyone yelling "Give it to the kid" if you buy it from the team


+1

I know that I probably sound like an old curmudgeon on this subject, but nothing annoys me more at a ball game than to hear folks shout at an adult to give the ball to a kid (more annoying than pressuring someone to throw an opposing team's home run ball back on the field). The person catching the ball might have a son, daughter, grand kid, nephew, niece, etc. that will end up with the ball. Or maybe they simply want to keep the ball for themselves.

As an avid fan who attends a number of games each year, I have nabbed my fair share of foul balls at minor league games (and shared a few, by the way), but I have never been able to come up with a ball at a major league game. If I ever get lucky at a big league game, I can assure you that I will feel like a kid all over again with no intention of sharing my souvenir with any other kid at the ball park. One of the allures for me in going to games is to escape from my adult life, so let me enjoy it without booing me for wanting to keep a $10 baseball.

Sorry if I got a bit off of the main topic . . .

Mark Hayne

In regards to having people yell "give it to a kid", I think it depends on what you're talking about. If you're talking about a foul ball that you catch during a game, then I agree, I feel like a kid when I do that too and you completely should keep it if you want to without repercussions from any other fans. If its a batting practice ball, it is what it is.

On the other hand, I was at the Cubs game last weekend, sitting third row behind the Phillies dugout with my son. We went there to get a Cubs game used jersey signed by Marlon Byrd (Marlon hit a HR in my son's first Cubs game) and Marlon was more than happy to oblige, buti digress. During the course of the game, I was able to get three separate people throw us balls for my son during the game. When Ryan Howard threw us the first ball after the 4th or 5th inning was over, some doofus in the row in front of us leaped over three people to try to catch the ball which was clearly thrown to us and deflected it into another guy's lap, who gave it to his daughter, so I let it go. An inning or so later, the Cubs first base coach Eric Hinske tossed us a foul ball and the same doofus did the same thing, this time catching it and keeping it for himself. I didn't say anything (even though I was upset because again, it was clearly thrown for my three year old so) but other people around him gave him an earful and said "give it to the kid". Now in that case, the ball obviously wasn't meant for the 21 year old who decided to jump all over everyone, so I think it should have gone to my son.

[stasman]

Originally Posted by coxfan View Post
...or have anyone yelling "Give it to the kid" if you buy it from the team


+1

I know that I probably sound like an old curmudgeon on this subject, but nothing annoys me more at a ball game than to hear folks shout at an adult to give the ball to a kid (more annoying than pressuring someone to throw an opposing team's home run ball back on the field). The person catching the ball might have a son, daughter, grand kid, nephew, niece, etc. that will end up with the ball. Or maybe they simply want to keep the ball for themselves.

As an avid fan who attends a number of games each year, I have nabbed my fair share of foul balls at minor league games (and shared a few, by the way), but I have never been able to come up with a ball at a major league game. If I ever get lucky at a big league game, I can assure you that I will feel like a kid all over again with no intention of sharing my souvenir with any other kid at the ball park. One of the allures for me in going to games is to escape from my adult life, so let me enjoy it without booing me for wanting to keep a $10 baseball.

Sorry if I got a bit off of the main topic . . .

Mark Hayne

I've been to hundreds of games over my lifetime and never came close to getting a ball until 2005 at a White Sox game... I was sitting front row right field and finally caught a homerun ball... That made my day. The best part was that season the sox won the World Series. The ball is now in my trophy case...Go Sox

[Jim65]

Never came close to catching a foul ball, although I did catch a puck at a Devils game, my hand was sore for a week :)

[5toolplayer]

Originally Posted by coxfan View Post
...or have anyone yelling "Give it to the kid" if you buy it from the team


+1

I know that I probably sound like an old curmudgeon on this subject, but nothing annoys me more at a ball game than to hear folks shout at an adult to give the ball to a kid (more annoying than pressuring someone to throw an opposing team's home run ball back on the field). The person catching the ball might have a son, daughter, grand kid, nephew, niece, etc. that will end up with the ball. Or maybe they simply want to keep the ball for themselves.

As an avid fan who attends a number of games each year, I have nabbed my fair share of foul balls at minor league games (and shared a few, by the way), but I have never been able to come up with a ball at a major league game. If I ever get lucky at a big league game, I can assure you that I will feel like a kid all over again with no intention of sharing my souvenir with any other kid at the ball park. One of the allures for me in going to games is to escape from my adult life, so let me enjoy it without booing me for wanting to keep a $10 baseball.

Sorry if I got a bit off of the main topic . . .

Mark Hayne

Well Said.... I 250% agree with you!! Maybe even more then that

[coxfan]

Another reason holding things for the team shops can be good: the aggression being described by some posters. I've seen several cases of people snatching things that were clearly thrown to others. Once at a Charlotte Knights game, a kid caught a foul hit onto the berm. A relief pitcher teased the kid by telling him he had to return the ball, and the kid threw it back to that reliever. He then said he was just joking and threw it back, but another kid intercepted it and wouldn't give it up.

Generally, once anyone (player or fan) controls a ball in his hand, it's his property. If he gives it to somebody, it belongs to that person, and nobody else has the right to intercept it. But that rule's ignored by some aggressive folks.

Also, when a ball's coming down, the scramble can be dangerous. I saw a guy get caught in the scramble for a HR that landed near him, and had to be helped by First Aid with what was either a panic attack or asthma attack as a result. If teams are better at holding out some balls and bats and selling them, maybe some of these problems would start to abate.

[Roady]

If adults would act like adults these problems would not happen.

[xsentrixsupra]

Another reason holding things for the team shops can be good: the aggression being described by some posters. I've seen several cases of people snatching things that were clearly thrown to others. Once at a Charlotte Knights game, a kid caught a foul hit onto the berm. A relief pitcher teased the kid by telling him he had to return the ball, and the kid threw it back to that reliever. He then said he was just joking and threw it back, but another kid intercepted it and wouldn't give it up.

Generally, once anyone (player or fan) controls a ball in his hand, it's his property. If he gives it to somebody, it belongs to that person, and nobody else has the right to intercept it. But that rule's ignored by some aggressive folks.

Also, when a ball's coming down, the scramble can be dangerous. I saw a guy get caught in the scramble for a HR that landed near him, and had to be helped by First Aid with what was either a panic attack or asthma attack as a result. If teams are better at holding out some balls and bats and selling them, maybe some of these problems would start to abate.

I fear it would lead to the opposite. If people know teams are going to be holding out a lot of stuff, they might view the ones hit into the stands as even a more of a 1 time thing. A lot of people for whatever reason want a ball, but don't feel like paying for it. If they knew more were going to be held out for selling, might lead to more aggresion.

[lengthwise1]

I feel very fortunate that I have 14 MLB and 1 MILB game balls, 2 HR's, 12 fouls & 1 GR Double. With that said, I usually have a decoy in my bag. I am happy to give a little kid a ball, they just arent getting the gamer I just made a sick catch on :)

[coxfan]

The closest I came to a MLB game-used ball is a funny story. My wife and I were in Miami on business, and we took in a Marlins game at their old stadium. I sat in an empty part of the stands down the RF foul line. The sun was boiling there (part of the reason that area was empty.) I figured the sun would move somewhere, but it strangely just seemed to hang in one spot without moving.

I finally couldn't take it any more, and went up to sit with my wife in a shady area. Just 10 minutes later a foul landed right next to where I'd been staked out! I was too far away then, and a lady got it.

My wife still teases me about that, but I don't mind. Thanks to the Rangers and Braves and their game-used shops, I've been able to put together a collection of balls from much more meaningful events and significant players than that ball I missed out on.

[sportsnbikes]

I have been thrown over 50 balls at major league games. I have right around 40 right now. Sometimes I'll give the balls to my kids to get autographs on. I have never caught or been given a foul ball or any other ball from a game. If the ball is thrown directly to me because I am calling for it, I usually keep it. But if it is thrown in my general direction and there is a kid there, if I catch it, I'll give it to him or her every time.

[gingi79]

Nope, never. Next season will be my 30th watching live games. In all those seasons, I have paid thousands of dollars to see these events and expected nothing more than some fine athletic competition. That being said, the idea of catching a foul ball is just as appealing now as it was in 1985. If the opportunity to catch one came along, it would be a nice added thrill to seeing the game, one that is 30 years in the making.

I find it ironic the same people who complain (rightfully in my humble opinion) that kids today have an attitude of entitlement and just expect things to be given to them without effort are the same who whine at games that we should "give the ball to the kid."

Let him wait 30 years like I did. :D

[ivo610]

The only reason I still try to get one is because I have a total of zero ever. I don't see what the difference is...one of these days I am going to body slam a Miller Park Ballhawk for one(watch out).


If that happens can the two of you discuss it over the forum afterwards?

(One of our members is a Brewers fan and I think holds the world record for balls caught at mlb games)

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

If that happens can the two of you discuss it over the forum afterwards?

(One of our members is a Brewers fan and I think holds the world record for balls caught at mlb games)

I know who you are talking about but I actually have never seen him at a game. Miller Park has quite a few professional ballhawks. I am just not as determined as some of them. Screaming at the top of your lungs and flapping your arms seems to work, but around kids and parents I would rather not go that route.

[beachpetrol]

Reminds me of when that father went to catch a ball for his son at a Rangers game a few years ago. What a horrible incident that was. Now that the stadiums sell the gameused balls, it will hopefully alleviate the need for bumping and shoving for a foul ball.

[stasman]

Never came close to catching a foul ball, although I did catch a puck at a Devils game, my hand was sore for a week :)

Yep. When I caught the homer, my hand had an instant huge black and blue mark. I took a photo of the bruising. Looks great with the ball. Haha

[sox83cubs84]

While I won't say I NEVER give kids baseballs, I consider three groups of people at least as worthy as kids, if not more so:

***Senior Citizens
***Disabled Fans
***Military Personnel

Taking care of the kids has turned me off somewhat for three reasons:

Kids unsupervised too often
Kids screaming and acting like maniacs
Sense of entitlement from kids and their parents.

I did give one of the two I grabbed Saturday night to a kid, and felt happy about it for 3 reasons:

***The kid was well behaved.
***His father was with him and was giving him good advice on how to ask for one.
***There were no adults screaming at me to give one away.

If every kid I encountered was as decent as this one (and his dad) were, I'd probably let the young'uns have more of my catches.

Dave M.

[xsentrixsupra]

While I won't say I NEVER give kids baseballs, I consider three groups of people at least as worthy as kids, if not more so:

***Senior Citizens
***Disabled Fans
***Military Personnel

Taking care of the kids has turned me off somewhat for three reasons:

Kids unsupervised too often
Kids screaming and acting like maniacs
Sense of entitlement from kids and their parents.

I did give one of the two I grabbed Saturday night to a kid, and felt happy about it for 3 reasons:

***The kid was well behaved.
***His father was with him and was giving him good advice on how to ask for one.
***There were no adults screaming at me to give one away.

If every kid I encountered was as decent as this one (and his dad) were, I'd probably let the young'uns have more of my catches.

Dave M.

Disabled fans for me would be the one I'd probably instantly give it up for. Senior citizens at least had the chance when they were younger to catch a ball on their own, the disabled individual will probably never have that chance. Never thought of military personnel, I guess that opporunity hasn't come up. That is probably the good thing to do though!

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

I was always turned off from the whole giving kids a ball because a lot of them walk out of BP with their pockets stuffed. I don't get how a 12 year old is entitled to 3+, but I don't get one.

[Sotystl]

Ive caught two balls, and gave them both away.

First was a foul ball, and gave it to the disabled kid a few seats down from me.

Second one another foul ball i caught that had homerun distance but down the RF line, hurt like hell to catch lol. I gave it to the kid in front of me who was at his first game with his mom. Something about seeing a 5-6 yr old kid there with his glove wide eyed just to be there takes me back.

The satisfaction i got from the reaction from the two people i gave them to was far more awesome then taking it home and have it sitting on my mantle, or in my man cave.

Albeit these were only foul balls, had i caught a HR ball or something of the sort i may be a little less apt to give it away.

[mbenga28]

While it's altruistic to give up a ball you caught to someone else, what satisfaction does the recipient get from it? They didn't catch the ball themselves, it wasn't as if a player gave it to them to make it a special keepsake, there's no MLB authentication sticker to prove they got it from the game they attended.