College baseball game-used

[coxfan]

Here in Columbia, SC, getting g-u balls from the gamecocks is not easy. We average over 5,000 fans per game, ( at least 10 times the national average) and ball-hawking has increased a lot since the national title last year.

But I've noticed a few things, and I'd invite any other observations:

1) The college balls are rubbed up like professional balls. NCAA rules specify they must be "rubbed up to remove the gloss", adding that "moistened river silk makes an excellent material to remove the gloss from baseballs." Thus, g-u balls can be identified by their rub-up.

2) College teams keep balls in play longer, even when they have infield dirt stains on them. The last ball of an inning is always thrown back to the mound. Balls are rarely thrown to fans.

3) College teams often re-use game balls for practice, although they also buy cheaper practice-only brands (such as "official League" or "Wilson TT9").

4) The NCAA provides "R1NCAA" balls for the Regionals and Super-regionals. Does anyone know if these balls are used for games other than in the NCAA Tournament? All conferences seem to have their own conference imprint on standard NCAA balls during the year.

[russyurk]

Coxfan - Conferences are free to have baseball supplier deals with any manuafacturer as long as those balls meet NCAA rule specs. There are a number of big conferences that use the R1NCAA but they are branded with their own logo. I've got a few unused NCAA post season balls available if you are interested.

http://www.gameuseduniverse.com/vb_f...highlight=ncaa

[sox83cubs84]

Some of the colleges and universitites are real p***ks when it comes to letting fans have baseballs. My experiencers with the University of Central Florida (albeit 1994) ar an example. I played the foul line on the berm at the park Kansas City used to train at back then, as they were playing UCF in the first Grapefruit League game for KC. A UCF player hit a ball fould, and I retrieved it easily. At that point, UCF's coach stopped batting practice, and wouldn't resume until I gave the BP foul ball back! Reluctantly I did, as fans and even ushers commiserated with me about the college team's stinginess. The whole scenario replayed itself within 10 minutes...I retrieve a foul ball, UCF coach stops BP and demands the ball back, I give it back, and, this time, a UCF pitcher climbus up to the berm from the field and stands about 6 feet in front of me to cut off any more errant foul balls that should head my way. Really poor fan relations, to say the least.

[godwulf]

I'd say it's one thing if the team is pinching pennies 'cause they have a tight budget, and another if it's just because the coach has a tight...well, something else.

Not a college situation, but when I was down in Yuma for the Arizona Winter League games, put on by the independent Golden Baseball League in February, each team designated a player in the dugout to go retrieve foul and home run balls during the game. They were just practice balls, and some of them didn't even appear to be in very great shape, but these guys were really operating on a shoestring budget. I mean, the teams were even borrowing batting helmets and other gear from one another. They were obviously not even paying Gary Templeton enough to keep him fed, because I saw him go into the opposing team's dugout between innings and steal the opposing manager's potato chips.

[sox83cubs84]

I'd say it's one thing if the team is pinching pennies 'cause they have a tight budget, and another if it's just because the coach has a tight...well, something else.

Not a college situation, but when I was down in Yuma for the Arizona Winter League games, put on by the independent Golden Baseball League in February, each team designated a player in the dugout to go retrieve foul and home run balls during the game. They were just practice balls, and some of them didn't even appear to be in very great shape, but these guys were really operating on a shoestring budget. I mean, the teams were even borrowing batting helmets and other gear from one another. They were obviously not even paying Gary Templeton enough to keep him fed, because I saw him go into the opposing team's dugout between innings and steal the opposing manager's potato chips.

I had that happen in Modesto at a California League game...the San Jose Giants sent a player out to retrieve BP homers. Still ended up with three, though...I got two while my brother-in-law (my ride) was still in the lot and gave them to him. The third I surreptitiously pocketed because the player was occupied with another fan who grabbed a baseball.

I know of a couple stories (both involving minor league teams) that show the tightwad attitudes of some minor league teams, in one case, and the dishonesty of a team employee in another, in future posts on this thread.

Dave Miedema

[ziggy]

Just my opinion but I leave balls and autographs for kids

[godwulf]

Just my opinion but I leave balls and autographs for kids

I discovered Baseball relatively late in life, I guess - in my mid-40s. That's when I became a big fan and collector, and, at least for me, getting autographs and going after the occasional foul ball is definitely part of the fun. Even at 57.

At the major league ballpark I frequent, Chase Field, most of the kids I see are either too small to know what's going on, or they're far more interested in their pizza and their red vines than the fact that they're at a Baseball game. If somebody gives them a foul ball - cool, it's something free, can I have some nachos? They don't know who the players are, and mostly they go after autographs only 'cause their dads are off to the side egging them on to do it. A few kids don't fit this description, but the vast majority do.

During the Arizona Fall League, which is a major passion of mine, you'll occasionally see a kid actually watching the game for the game's sake, but mostly what you see are hyperactive little motormouths to whom it's a competition to see how many baseballs they can run down or beg, who very obviously couldn't care less who is winning, who the players are, or anything else. I always cheer when an adult - an actual fan, not an obvious ballhawk - gets a foul ball and doesn't give it to one of those obnoxious little blisters charging around the park, screaming.

I nearly always defer to kids (under about age twelve or so, anyway) in autograph lines or crowds, and if a kid is nearby when a foul ball comes down, I won't race him for it, unless he's been extraordinarily obnoxious earlier...but, as I stated before, autographs and foul balls are part of the fun of Baseball for me, and I believe a lot of other fans of advanced years feel similarly.

[coxfan]

Thanks to all. Russyurk, how did you get your unused NCAA Tournament balls? Does a team sell them somewhere?

For other comments: A lot of us grew up in small towns where there was no chance to get to big games of any kind while we were kids. And many kids seem bent on destroying foul balls as soon as they get them ( throwing them hard against walls, etc.) I'll want my grandsons to be as polite to adults and wait their turns, as much as I hope adults will treat them similarly.

[russyurk]

The balls are available for sale at all NCAA tournament final sites and possibly preliminary rounds as well. I work in college athletics so I guess it's easier for me to track down plus I've always had a soft spot for official baseballs, all star, world series, etc.

[sox83cubs84]

Evansville. early 1980s. Trriple-A Triplets game.

Two active Wrigley Field Ballhawks of the era, Rich Buhrke and Mark Didtler, take a road trip to Evansville, as a player buddy of Rich's, Bill Naharodny, is on the Evansville roster.

Rich and Mark both decide to "play the roof" during the game...ballhawk-speak for chasing down game foul balls that clear the roof and end up outside. Mark scores first, only to have a team batboy come outside the stadium and ask for the baseball back. Mark basically tells the kid to take a hike, after which the kid, as he is departing, warns Mark that the police will be called and he will be arrested.

Both Mark and Rich laughed off the kid's warning, but the laughter quickly stopped, as, minutes later, an Evansville police car pulled up by the stadium. Mark saw this and quickly went into hiding. Rich took advantage of the commotion to grab a couple of roof balls out of sight of the gathered group.

After the game, Rich, who drove, waited for Mark to return...and waited, and waited...for close to 2 hours. Finally, he drove back to the motel, only to find Mark sitting in front of their room, ball in hand. Mark actually walked several miles back to the motel, to avoid the cops and the hassles.

Evansvile hasn't been part of Class AAA for sometime, and, based on this incident, I'd say their absence is well-deserved.

Dave Miedema