Actually, as a life long Orioles fan and Baltimore resident, I feel the need to correct you by pointing out that the "Jeffery Maier playoff game" was at Yankees Stadium, not Camden Yards. The right field wall at Camden Yards is too tall for any fan to directly interfere with a right fielder trying to catch a fly ball. Needless to say, that damn kid was not the most hated person in that stadium full of thousands of people. But he was the most hated person in a city full of thousands of people several hundred miles away.
Brett
· 1 year ago
@ Eric- Thanks for the correction. I wonder what ever happened to that kid.....
Amy
· 1 year ago
2 words: Steve Bartman...
cory huff
· 1 year ago
Nice. I used to sit at baseball games with my grandpa and yell, "Go Dodgers!" No matter who was playing, simply because grandpa was a Dodgers fan.
Trent Hamm
· 1 year ago
I got socked in the face by a foul ball when I was a kid at a minor league game. Afterwards, the pitcher and the catcher both signed the ball for me - and they both wound up making the big leagues, albeit in minor roles (Larry Luebbers and Brian Hunter).
Rodney Hampton
· 1 year ago
I thought the lesson from Popov v. Hayashi was that the lawyers always win! :-)
Rick
· 1 year ago
You should include something about Steve Bartman and the Cubs in the section about interfering with the players.
Josh
· 1 year ago
Funny enough, Jeffery Maier ended up becoming a minor league baseball player. Guess who owns his contract? The Orioles. Looks like he will never play in the Majors.
Darren
· 1 year ago
Good piece... I especially like that you reminded people not to get mental when chasing a ball. Specifically, when it comes to kids. I've seen full-grown "adults" practically step on children in order to get to a ball before them, and they got every bit of grief they deserved. It's pretty low to deprive a kid a chance of a lifetime.
To those who mentioned Steve Bartman, Bret and Kate got it right with their original mention of Jeffery Maier. Steve Bartman never reached over the wall, the ball was in the stands and if he didn't try to catch it, the ball probably would have hit him. Alou never had a chance to catch that ball, though it was a good effort. As a life-long Cubs fan, I was more disgusted by Alou's temper tantrum on the field (and the Cubs subsequent meltdown after that) and the ridiculous overreaction by Cubs "fans" that caused that poor man to go into hiding, literally fearing for his life for quite some time.
Iain
· 1 year ago
Regarding Steve Bartman, Darren is spot on. Alou even confessed--albeit years later--that he never had a real chance to catch that ball. Bartman's victimization resulted from a lot of folks wanting to find an excuse for the Cubs' blowing what looked to be a sure-fire trip to the series.
As for the rest of the piece, very nicely written. But I confess that I subscribe to the rule stated by Rick Reilly in one of his columns, namely, "Any baseball caught by a fan should immediately be handed to the nearest kid." I'd add a corollary that the kid has to at least look interested first before any obligation kicks in. But c'mon. We're adults here. Memories are enough.
Brett
· 1 year ago
@ Trent- That's one of the things I like about minor league teams. They do really nice things for the fans. I doubt what occurred to you happens regularly in the pros.
@ Rodney- . Popov sued his attorney for malpractice after the sale of the ball. He was trying to weasel his way out of having to pay his attorney. Of course, he lost. So you're right. Lawyers always win.
@ Josh- I heard about that. What a twist of fate that the kid who screwed the Orioles ends up playing on their farm team. I hope he gets some playing time.
@ Darren and Iain- Agreed. I thought it was a crime what happened to that guy. Cubs fans were just looking for another scapegoat besides that real goat that supposedly cursed Wrigley Field and the Cubbies.
Ryan Taylor
· 1 year ago
"Youll want to do some research before the game about the opposing teams pitcher. If its a lefty, the batting lineup will be loaded with righties. In that case, sit near the first base line. Its harder for batters to pull during a game, and they are more likely to swing early, and thus foul in that direction. If the pitcher is a righty, sit near the third base line."
You would have to swing early to pull the ball. This sentence is just wrong. YOU pull the ball when you swing early. You hit to the opposite field when you dont swing early.
Brett
· 1 year ago
@Ryan-Yup you are right. I meant "swing late" not "swing early." I always read my posts over several times before publishing, and I still can never manage to catch all my mistakes. Thanks for the heads up.
Brad
· 1 year ago
I agree with all your points but one - bringing a glove.
If you're old enough to buy a beer you're too old to bring a glove to the park. It's been my experience that your best chance for a ball is on the first bounce, anyway.
Gary Slaughter
· 1 year ago
I'm not much of a baseball fan, and certainly not a beer fan, but I'll always remember a Pabst commercial I saw only once. Two guys are sitting in the bleachers and there's a really old guy with a really old glove sitting in front of them. The old guy's pounding his glove and saying, "C'mon!" There's the crack of the bat and everyone jumps to their feet as the ball is coming toward them. One of the younger guys catches the ball (one-handed) and deftly slaps it into the old man's glove.
The only other person who knows what happens is his friend, who looks at him and quietly says, "Give that man a Blue Ribbon." I think that commercial said a lot about being a man.
Iain
· 1 year ago
@Gary: I remember the same commercial, Gary. And you're right, it does say a lot about being a man. Too bad the beer sucks.
Baseball Quiz
· 1 year ago
Nooo you gave away my batters cage trick :P
John
· 1 year ago
Yes, I was denied twice as a boy. Once at Veteran's Stadium and once at Yankee Stadium. Each time a grwon man next to our group snagged the foul ball away from our attempts to catch it. In neither case did the man have a child with him.
Darryl
· 1 year ago
I remember going to a ballgame and was sitting on the third baseline during batting practice and the game. and beside me was a little kid and his mom, who decided to take him to the game for his birthday. I remember catching a foul ball that dribbled across the field, right into my glove. I had no hesitation at all: I took the ball out of my glove and gave it to the kid and wished him a happy birthday. The look on the kid's face is a look I'll remember for a long time! And it's a great feeling too!
Marcellus
· 1 year ago
My kid brother used to always ask umpires for a ball after the game, as the umps are leaving the field. True you're not actually catching the ball, but it worked every single time.
Dave
· 1 year ago
I just read a guy's Blog on MLBlogs and he has written a book called "Taking Home A Piece Of The Game". His name is John Witt and he has been collecting baseballs for over 30 years. He has caught over 4850 baseballs at professional games including 99 Major League Game Home Runs. The book not only tells you how to set up your day at the ballpark but it gives you pointers from how to get tickets to where to go in the ballpark to get a baseball or autographs. He also shares stories about some of the more memorable home runs he has caught such as Sammy Sosa's 61st HR in 1998, 2 home runs from Eddie Murray in the same game that Murray hit from each side of the plate and a few others. It is a pretty cool book for sure!
All Comments
:-)
To those who mentioned Steve Bartman, Bret and Kate got it right with their original mention of Jeffery Maier. Steve Bartman never reached over the wall, the ball was in the stands and if he didn't try to catch it, the ball probably would have hit him. Alou never had a chance to catch that ball, though it was a good effort. As a life-long Cubs fan, I was more disgusted by Alou's temper tantrum on the field (and the Cubs subsequent meltdown after that) and the ridiculous overreaction by Cubs "fans" that caused that poor man to go into hiding, literally fearing for his life for quite some time.
As for the rest of the piece, very nicely written. But I confess that I subscribe to the rule stated by Rick Reilly in one of his columns, namely, "Any baseball caught by a fan should immediately be handed to the nearest kid." I'd add a corollary that the kid has to at least look interested first before any obligation kicks in. But c'mon. We're adults here. Memories are enough.
@ Rodney- . Popov sued his attorney for malpractice after the sale of the ball. He was trying to weasel his way out of having to pay his attorney. Of course, he lost. So you're right. Lawyers always win.
@ Josh- I heard about that. What a twist of fate that the kid who screwed the Orioles ends up playing on their farm team. I hope he gets some playing time.
@ Darren and Iain- Agreed. I thought it was a crime what happened to that guy. Cubs fans were just looking for another scapegoat besides that real goat that supposedly cursed Wrigley Field and the Cubbies.
You would have to swing early to pull the ball. This sentence is just wrong. YOU pull the ball when you swing early. You hit to the opposite field when you dont swing early.
If you're old enough to buy a beer you're too old to bring a glove to the park. It's been my experience that your best chance for a ball is on the first bounce, anyway.
The only other person who knows what happens is his friend, who looks at him and quietly says, "Give that man a Blue Ribbon." I think that commercial said a lot about being a man.
The book not only tells you how to set up your day at the ballpark but it gives you pointers from how to get tickets to where to go in the ballpark to get a baseball or autographs. He also shares stories about some of the more memorable home runs he has caught such as Sammy Sosa's 61st HR in 1998, 2 home runs from Eddie Murray in the same game that Murray hit from each side of the plate and a few others. It is a pretty cool book for sure!
I think you can check it out here https://www.createspace.com/3358632