Arods 3000th hit

[yanks12025]

So what do you guys think his 3000th hit home run ball is worth?

I saw the ball hawk guy caught it. Curious how many people he pushed out of the way to get it.

[earlywynnfan]

Re: Arods 3000th hit

I'd pay money to see someone chuck this ballhawk SOB over the outfield fence!!

(No problems with ballhawks, just jerks who push everyone else out of the way and then expect glory.)

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

Re: Arods 3000th hit

Personally I am glad he kept it though. All the time I see ushers walk up to kids and make it seem like they actually have to give up the ball. They then just give them a signed ball and call it good. Wish people knew the value and ask for something a little better. Like a game used bat etc.

Though I HATE how people think these players are entitled to the ball...like you should just give it up.

[GoCrazyFolks76]

Re: Arods 3000th hit

Ironic that this guy literally wrote the book on catching balls at the ballpark.

He did give back Trout's first HR ball... So he doesn't seem like all that bad of a guy.

If I had caught it, that ball would be in the next major auction.

[yanks12025]

Re: Arods 3000th hit

Ironic that this guy literally wrote the book on catching balls at the ballpark.

He did give back Trout's first HR ball... So he doesn't seem like all that bad of a guy.

If I had caught it, that ball would be in the next major auction.

But no one at the time knew that trout would turn out to be this great.

[danesei@yahoo.com]

Re: Arods 3000th hit

Ironic that this guy literally wrote the book on catching balls at the ballpark.

He did give back Trout's first HR ball... So he doesn't seem like all that bad of a guy.

As Yanks said, giving back Trout's first HR ball, at the time, wasn't such a huge deal. It was Trout's 12th game, and he wasn't super-hyped up like this year's crop of prospects. Remember, when Trout first came up (2011), he was considered someone who could hit well, but his power hadn't fully developed yet.

Watching the video, I saw him push at least three people to get to the ball, and it looks like he might have hit someone to jar the ball loose. As for writing a book on it, I'd be more interested in how many people bought said book. Writing a book and getting published is somewhat like getting a law degree: Yes, it takes time and effort, but that alone isn't really an accomplishment.

Honestly, after I saw the clip on QuickPitch, I was thinking "Wow. That guy looks like such a punk with how he goes about his business. If someone elbowed him good, I bet he'd sue if he didn't get the ball." I hope the ball goes to auction, and I hope no one bids on it, so ARod can get it for the posting bid. Doubt that will happen, but it would be it's own twisted form of justice.

[GoCrazyFolks76]

Re: Arods 3000th hit

Not sure I can fault the guy for being aggressive towards catching the ball. If somebody had hit a ball worth tens of thousands of dollars towards me, I would probably be pushing another guy or two as well.

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

Re: Arods 3000th hit

I don't like the guy and I don't really like ballhawks, but he isn't a horrible person. He has been in some bad situations, but for the most part respects everyone else. He even helps out younger ballhawks and takes time out of his day to share his secrets. I hate ballhawks and find them annoying, but hey that is his thing...whatever.

He is usually quite good about giving balls back that are meaningful. However, he isn't a big fan of A-Rod and the Yankees are sort of A holes to him. So I can't really blame him for not giving it up. Hard to blame a guy for turning down maybe $5k worth of stuff for a $100k+ ball. He also might want to help out a charity he supports with the ball.

[metsgraphs]

Re: Arods 3000th hit

Knowing the guy personally he is a great guy and I believe if i were in his spot I would do the same thing I asked him this year what he would do if he had caught Jeters 3000 Hit and he had no idea

[danesei@yahoo.com]

Re: Arods 3000th hit

Hard to blame a guy for turning down maybe $5k worth of stuff for a $100k+ ball.

I don't imagine the ball fetching $100k anytime soon. Yes, it was a HR and 3000th hit, but $100k seems extreme, even if he's only the third player to do the 3000th hit for a HR thing. After all, Gwynn's 3000th hit game batting gloves and cap were offered at a measly $5k.

[Jags Fan Dan]

Re: Arods 3000th hit

I do agree with him that players who make a quarter to a half billion dollars in their career shouldn't expect favors from a random fan who is lucky enough to catch a potentially valuable baseball.

[godwulf]

Re: Arods 3000th hit

Not sure I can fault the guy for being aggressive towards catching the ball. If somebody had hit a ball worth tens of thousands of dollars towards me, I would probably be pushing another guy or two as well.

There's a big difference between being aggressive and committing battery, and I've seen both at the ballpark. A little shoving and pushing is one thing, but I have seen someone who caught a ball wrestled to the ground, dog-piled and beaten before Security could come to his aid. I have also heard so-called Baseball fans defend such actions as being "all part of the game".

If I had the Arod ball, I'd auction it because I could really use the money, but I would be wishing the whole time that I didn't - so I could afford to blow it up or otherwise destroy the thing in some public way as a message to the low-life who hit it.

[Buccaneer Madden]

Re: Arods 3000th hit

I don't imagine the ball fetching $100k anytime soon. Yes, it was a HR and 3000th hit, but $100k seems extreme, even if he's only the third player to do the 3000th hit for a HR thing. After all, Gwynn's 3000th hit game batting gloves and cap were offered at a measly $5k.

Exactly, and with all of ARod's baggage there is no way that ball get anywhere close to $100k unless some idiot like Todd McFarlane wants it.

[johnsontravis@ymail.com]

Re: Arods 3000th hit

I don't imagine the ball fetching $100k anytime soon. Yes, it was a HR and 3000th hit, but $100k seems extreme, even if he's only the third player to do the 3000th hit for a HR thing. After all, Gwynn's 3000th hit game batting gloves and cap were offered at a measly $5k.

An idiot with his money is all too common these days. I just threw that number out there. Just making the point that the Yankees were probably only offering him a fraction of what the ball is worth.

[TigersCubs84]

Re: Arods 3000th hit

Seems to me that the most ironic part is that the ballhawk was even in the vicinity to catch it. I've seen this guy in action as well, and most of his balls are BP. He runs from right field to left and back pending who is batting. I've tried it myself, it's a lot of running, plus guys hop in and out of the cage real quick, etc. Arod is a righty, how did the hawk know he was hitting it to RF? Pretty good homework evidently. The odds of him catching that ball had to be astronomical. Plus it was a full house. Everything had to go right, just like when Jeter got that last ab for his last hit.