Quote Originally Posted by sox83cubs84 View Post
Ballhawknet's remarks about obnoxious and nasty security and team personnel are right on the money. I've seen a few examples myself, such as a summer day at Old Comiskey Park in 1982. Scott Fletcher hit his first MLB HR, and I dashed to where it landed and found the guy who caught it. Unfortunately, the ball he had was a brand new one, and he said that Sox Security guards told him he HAD to give it back..that new ball was his consolation prize, apparentlly.

Too often the team will either convince you that the ball has no worth (as Dave D. alluded to) when you leave the park, or security types will try to intimidate fans into giving it up, which fans usually fall for because either the intimidation works, or else they're too caught up in the moment to reason their options out fully (as Suicide Squeeze mentioned many months ago).

Either way, if you're ever lucky enough to be in this situation (which, out of the 13 HRs I've snagged, I haven't), keep your wits about you and don't let pushy security guards or nearby fans make your decision for you.

Dave M.
Chicago area

I caught about 15-20 HR balls at the old Yankee Stadium. NO SECURITY personel has come and asked for the ball. But they did come down to where I was and "advised" me to keep the ball and DO NOT throw it back - since the HR ball was from the opposite team.

And the quote I do remembered - If I threw the ball back onto the field, that is an automatically EJECTION. And if they witness where the ball landed - if it is within 10 feet from a player, I will be charged with ATTEMPTED ASSAULT... now that $hit scared me!


So I kept all of my baseballs - I may have given one or two away if it happened to be duplicated player (i. e. Gary Sheffield -- got like 4 HR balls from him total)


I would never hand over any ball if they requested. Hell to the NO! If I happened to reach over the fence and interfere with the ball in play... I will take the ejection and kept the ball. Did that once - against the other team (instead of 2-run score with man on 3rd - tied score with two outs. With fan interference, it became ground rule doubles with man on 2nd and 3rd - Yankees wining by a run with two outs).

At least with the ejection, I kept the baseball and got a decent ovation.



It worth the price of the admission!