Bryce Harper's 1st Home Run Ball!!!!

[xpress34]

Re: Bryce Harper's 1st Home Run Ball!!!!

I've noticed recently that people on GUU have been up in arms over the "entitled" attitudes of kids at baseball games. How players toss them balls, how players only sign for them, how they beg and receive balls, et cetera.

But nobody seems to rail against what I would call the entitled attitudes of home run ball catchers. While the home run baseball is the catcher's property, that doesn't mean he or she is owed a valuable game used item in exchange.

Yes, the ball catcher can sell it on the open market for some money, depending upon the provenance. But I would never be under the illusion, one that plagues certain ballhawks, that I have some special talent that needs to be handsomely compensated, just because I can catch a ball.

Frik -

I have addressed the ballhawk/ball catcher issue before on a previous thread and the elitist/entitled attitudes some have.

One issue that truly irks me is the idea that not only should they get something from the player that hit the HR, they also want something from another player? That IMHO is disrespectful to the player that hit the HR. He is the ONLY person who should be getting asked for stuff - within reason.

I retrieved Eric Young, Jr's 1st (and still only) MLB HR at Coors Field in 2009 and all I wanted was to give him the ball personally in exchange for a GU AU ball from the game. I know plenty of Coors Field 'ballhawks' who were all over me that I asked for 'so little' in exchange. I can tell you that I have since acquired both the uniform and helmet he was wearing when he hit the HR, but I am considering selling the uniform. I don't believe it would have given me anymore satisfaction if EY had given it to me himself. I get plenty of satisfaction from the ball he signed that is inscribed - Thanks for retrieving my HR.

- Smitty

[xpress34]

Re: Bryce Harper's 1st Home Run Ball!!!!

The Nats have a game used shop set up for the first time this year. They had a Harper alternate blue curly W jersey on sale for $5,000. Same for the Zimmerman jersey.

Wonder if MLB had a hand in setting the price. I say that because through talks with Aaron who runs the GU at Coors Field (which is also a first year deal this year), he is having issues with MLB when they authenticate stuff trying to tell him what prices to sell stuff for - even though it's OWNED by the Rockies and not MLB.

Case in point. Aaron is trying to keep $500 as the highest price point this year to gauge the interest of casual fans - not people like myself and my friends who have already spent lots of cash there.

MLB has told him that is too low (no pun intended) for Tulo. They want him to ask $2,000 for Tulo GU Jerseys and Bats and he won't give in.

I'm hoping it doesn't make MLB reluctant to sticker and authenticate items for him, but I appreciate him sticking to his plan to see how it goes.

- Smitty

[OaklandAsFan]

Re: Bryce Harper's 1st Home Run Ball!!!!

Smitty,

I'm hearing the same stuff from the guy who runs the auction and GU sales in the store at Chase Field.

[BaseballGM]

Re: Bryce Harper's 1st Home Run Ball!!!!

Yesterday, i stopped by the Nat's game used stand. I asked about the $5k Harper jersey as it wasn't being displayed anymore. They said they sold not 1 but 2 Harper jerseys for $5,000 each.

[frikativ54]

Re: Bryce Harper's 1st Home Run Ball!!!!

Yesterday, i stopped by the Nat's game used stand. I asked about the $5k Harper jersey as it wasn't being displayed anymore. They said they sold not 1 but 2 Harper jerseys for $5,000 each.

If Harper flames out, someone will have lost a serious chunk of change. I've never been one for high stakes gambling, which is why I've invested only 1/10 of the money in my Justin Smoak collection as I have in my Bagwell items.

Yeah, Bryce Harper is seen as "can't miss," but what if he suffers a career-ending injury? Or gets killed in a car accident? The point is that you are paying for the jersey of an unproven ballplayer.

[chakes89]

Re: Bryce Harper's 1st Home Run Ball!!!!

Or gets killed in a car accident?

Throw it on eBay and get double the price you paid?

[LastingsMilledge85]

Re: Bryce Harper's 1st Home Run Ball!!!!

Or gets killed in a car accident?

This is all that comes to mind... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vIZbDa__1o