Art of Manliness - Latest Comments in How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Frank — Sat, 22 Jun 2013 05:25:20 -0000

I know I'm responding to a comment from 5 years ago, but the commenter who said Jeffery Maier had a minor league contract is mistaken. He never was signed by any major league farm system and never played in the minor leagues.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

bruce d — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 22:52:52 -0000

One tip i could give is, if a ball is coming near an isle or any concrete area and there is a group of people jumping for it. Stand back and get it on the bounce.it is hard to catch a foul ball and almost impossible if people are crowded around you.I got a lot of foul balls at a minor league park with this

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Tom Haggas — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 05:27:58 -0000

I read a stat somewhere that women and children are most likely to get hit by a foul ball. (I assume from not paying attention.) If you are going with loved ones, sit between them and home plate. I caught a foul from Mike Aviles last year. It was on the road in the eighth with the Sox up big. The KC fans had all left, so we had three whole sections to ourselves.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Dave Miedema — Tue, 18 May 2010 17:17:40 -0000

I'm certainly not gonna shove or knock over a kid for a ball...BUT...if I catch it fair and square, I keep it...PERIOD! If some horse's derriere yells at me to "give it to a kid", my response is usally "You want the kid to have one? YOU catch one and give it to him!"

Another thing I won't do is sell a ball I caught on eBay. One of the guys who hangs out on Waveland Avenue outside Wrigley Field tries to sell his home runs on that site. I say "tries to sell" because his prices are so inflated that the stuff never moves".

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Riley — Sun, 16 May 2010 19:49:28 -0000

I went to a minor league game and i got 3 autographs and a foul ball... it was cool.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Walter — Wed, 12 May 2010 16:15:36 -0000

I remember when I was about 11, our school went to a Brewer's game. I had saved up all summer to get a team autgraphed ball. I got one at the game, it was awesome, that was back when Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, ect. played. I had it in my coat pocket when some of my friends and I snuck up to the press box to see Bob Uecker. We went in and were quickly escorted out by a guard! Anyway when I got back to my seat the ball was gone. I almost cried. Major disappointment!

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Mesothelioma — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:14:49 -0000

All about batting practice, it's fun to sit out and watch before the game with the kids, and if you get a ball it's all the better. I'm a big fan of AAA ball, and have gotten a few balls from it. Love the post.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Dallas — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:03:12 -0000

Another "good" idea is seats above the home team dugout where the first baseman will be entering his dugout after catching the third out. He has a ball in his glove that he will flip into the seats. Todd Helton tossed a ball to my son a few years ago. I say "good" because you don't want to get a foul ball rocketing towards your kid that skips off the top of the dugout enough to pick up some more wicked spin & change directions quickly. Never had that happen to me but I've seen it happen. Always make sure to watch every pitch!!
@Gary-When I read this article I was thinking about that commercial. Funny how a commercial can make such an impact.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Chris Patchin — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 09:59:09 -0000

It's true, my ten year old son and I recently attended a Major League game and were fortunate enough to sit in the dugout box seats, my son was lucky enough to snag not one, but two foul balls, what are the odds? I don't even think my son remembers who was playing, but those two foul balls made a ten year olds dreams of catching a foul ball come true.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Dave — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 15:08:25 -0000

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!

I think you can check it out here https://www.createspace.com...

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Marcellus — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 12:02:15 -0000

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.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Darryl — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:59:50 -0000

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!

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

John — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:13:00 -0000

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.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Baseball Quiz — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:32:14 -0000

Nooo you gave away my batters cage trick :P

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Iain — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 23:37:10 -0000

@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.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Gary Slaughter — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:31:59 -0000

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.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Brad — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:36:31 -0000

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.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Brett — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:00:52 -0000

@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.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Ryan Taylor — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 19:34:12 -0000

"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.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Brett — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:06:55 -0000

@ 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.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Iain — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:49:09 -0000

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.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Darren — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:42:59 -0000

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.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Josh — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:52:25 -0000

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.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Rick — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:08:57 -0000

You should include something about Steve Bartman and the Cubs in the section about interfering with the players.

Re: How To Snag a Souvenir Baseball

Rodney Hampton — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:50:22 -0000

I thought the lesson from Popov v. Hayashi was that the lawyers always win!
:-)