Dude goes to a MLB game and gets 28 balls

[spyboy1]

Getting balls at games is his reason for living, but even this is over the top.

http://snaggingbaseballs.mlblogs.com/archi...onals_park.html

[DEAD!]

Parent: Dude! Where's my car?

[DG_ThenNowForever]

I assumed he caught 28 foul balls. This is a little bit less special:

But he does have a girlfriend willing to put up with that nonsense, so he must be doing something right.

Here's a question: When you are at a major league game and you catch a foul ball, do you feel an obligation to give it to a child? As a grown man of 26, I would like to catch a ball myself some day. I think it's silly that we're expected, that if we catch a ball, our primary responsibility is to find a child to give it to.

Am I imagining that obligation? And if not, is it selfish for me to want to keep the ball I still haven't caught?

[Tentomushi5150]

I think as long as you're not laying the smack down on a child in order to catch said ball you're ok. I seem to recall an incident a year or two ago where a guy actually fought the kid for the ball then showboated about it. I could be way off base on that one though.

[NorthStar74]

I think as long as you're not laying the smack down on a child in order to catch said ball you're ok. I seem to recall an incident a year or two ago where a guy actually fought the kid for the ball then showboated about it. I could be way off base on that one though.

I believe that was the incident with the guy that was a weasel with the ball and made the little kid cry..and the guy got tossed out and was booed so hard.. I do remmy that one on highreels and thought that guy was a lamea** for acting that way....

[Mac the Knife]

Y'know, I've never been fortunate enough to catch a ball at an MLB game, but I know for a fact that if I did (and unless it was some goofy milestone ball that someone would pay huge money for) I'd probably give it to a kid if one was nearby. I wouldn't need the ball to keep the memory, and the kid would have a memory of my giving it to him that'd last him/her a lifetime.

[Lee.]

Y'know, I've never been fortunate enough to catch a ball at an MLB game, but I know for a fact that if I did (and unless it was some goofy milestone ball that someone would pay huge money for) I'd probably give it to a kid if one was nearby. I wouldn't need the ball to keep the memory, and the kid would have a memory of my giving it to him that'd last him/her a lifetime.

...and YOUR kid isn't good enough for a game ball? Bastard.

If by some fluke I ever catch one, it goes to my oldest, the next to my fetus. However, considering I'll be nowhere near a MLB park for at least a year, it's a non-issue at the moment.

[officeglenn]

I dunno ... that just seems a little weird and obsessive to me. This dude's not even going to the games to have fun or cheer on a team; he's going to collect balls, and that's it. The on-field action is little more than a prelude to who has the ball and getting in the right spot to have it tossed to him. Seems a bit off to me. But I've got to say that's he's got chutzpah. All the clashing with ushers and other fans he went through would certainly turn me off.

As for the kid question, if there was one around who looked like he/she genuinely wanted a ball (i.e., had the glove and a cap on, won't stop talking to dad about when they're gonna hit one over here), I'd give it to him/her. That, or if he/she started screaming "I hate you!" after I caught it (long, non-baseball-related story). If there aren't any kids around, or at least none who seem interested in it, I wouldn't feel guilty about keeping it.

[Sport]

If you're 9, catching 28 practice balls would be cool. This guy's age, and using a dorky glove on a string trick to catch 28 practice balls, not cool. I think at a certain age it's time to leave your glove at home. If a ball comes your way be a man and go barehands.

Last season I caught a puck at a Blue Jackets game. I kept it because I figured I'm not old enough at 20 to give any little kids a souvenir without coming off as creepy and I figured I could get away with looking like a "selfish teenager".

[spyboy1]

I always fear I'll get my first foul ball without my son present and get crap for keeping it.

[STL FANATIC]

There was an instance in Arlington at a Cardinals vs Rangers game where some jerk basically robbed the ball from a kid and wouldn't give it up. He appeared to be with a date, shortly after he was alone.

I think both the Rangers and the Cardinals hooked the kid up.

The closest I've ever come to getting a ball was at Cardinals BP one day. Chris Carpenter was shagging balls and my kid brother (6 at the time I think..I'd have been 18) yelled "Chris!" and hearing the voice of a youngster Carp spotted him and tossed it to me to hand to my brother. Which I did... wouldn't steal it from him.

I think if I caught a foul ball I'd keep it unless I was right by a kid who was really after it.

[BB61]

In the words of Ace Ventura, "Obsessed much?"

That's a little much, and frankly, a little disturbing. I have no problem going to a game and sitting in the outfield during batting practice looking for a home run ball. Hell, I wouldn't mind. But using a device to snatch a ball off a field is (though clever) a little over the line.

Not only that, but when he talked about meeting up with his friends, he seemed threatened by the fact that they might... *gasp*... cut in on his action! OH NOES!

As for the whole "kid" thing, my feeling is that once you've caught a ball / puck for yourself, that's all you need. Once I actually catch a ball at a game, the next hundred or so will go to kids. Simple as that.

[Mac the Knife]

Y'know, I've never been fortunate enough to catch a ball at an MLB game, but I know for a fact that if I did (and unless it was some goofy milestone ball that someone would pay huge money for) I'd probably give it to a kid if one was nearby. I wouldn't need the ball to keep the memory, and the kid would have a memory of my giving it to him that'd last him/her a lifetime.

...and YOUR kid isn't good enough for a game ball? Bastard.

Well, in all likelihood my kid wouldn't want it, so yeah.

[AJM]

Catching a foul ball or home run is one thing, but using gadgets to reel them in is uber-lame!

[LuvTheNats]

Pardon my slightly offensive language here....but...what a douche this guy is....Look at his blog...This guy is the textbook definition of a "nerd".

Frankly...If this dork is using some sort of contraption to reel in balls sitting in the bullpen from 20-30 feet above...that is just as good as him setting foot IN the bullpen himself...making him a candidate for ejection from the ballpark...AND...(and this may be considered a bit brash) but....call me kooky...but is that not theft? Balls in the bullpen still belong to the team, right? I mean I get foul balls...and balls players toss to into the crowd...but if you're using a contraption like this clown was doing...would that not be theft? I mean lets look at it this way....What if he had snagged a glove? Or a player's cap? Would that have been acceptable?? Doubt it....Just my opinion though....

[gingerbreadmann]

OMG, this is such old news.

Am I a nerd for reading his blog regularly for a year or two?

As easy as it is to believe, he actually isn't that much of a nerd. (Well, when it comes to other things)

LuvtheNats, he has never done anything illegal, nor is the glove trick illegal in any way, shape, or form. Plus he is also a really nice guy and doesn't hog the balls. It's all at the discretion and judgment of the ballpark ushers.

[slapshot]

I think what he's doing is funny, actually. He's pretty resourceful. Nerdy and dorky? Probably. Most fans can be at times, too.

It's not like he has a "contraption". It's a glove with a rubber band. Not exactly high-tech. And from what I've read, the only balls he's been scooping up are batting practice balls. Everything else is either thrown to him, or balls that are in unusual places (like flower beds, or between a fence and bleachers).

Would I ever go to those lengths? No. Unless I had the giant glove, because that's funny.

I've only caught one ball in my life. It was during batting practice, and one the players threw one of the batted balls up into a crowd of people. I was there with my nephew, and the ball was high enough that it was over everyone's head but mine. I just reached up and caught it, and gave it to my nephew. I didn't fight other kids or parents for it, it came right to me.

I am curious to know what the difference between minor and major league baseballs are. It might be understandable that BP balls are slicker or harder, but it doesn't make sense that the game balls would be that different between the levels.

[CC97]

I've never actually caught a foul ball hit into the stands, but I have left with baseballs several times.

First (and best) was during Jays/Mets BP on Canada Day 1998, Rey Ordonez hit a practice home run right into my glove, it was a National League ball too, a rare find at SkyDome.

At a double header in 2001, sitting in the front row my brother and I each had a ball tossed to us during the game, once by the Indians third base coach (Skinner?) and once by Jays third baseman Chris Woodward.

In 2005 a foul ball was hit into the quite-empty stands behind home plate at the dome, it landed a few seats down from me and I beat another person running over to get it.

While working for the Jays however I used to look through the stands before the gates would open and usually would find 1-2 baseballs a game, I assume hit up there during B.P., I still have a duffle bag in my room full of MLB baseballs because of this.

[HedleyLamarr]

While working for the Jays however I used to look through the stands before the gates would open and usually would find 1-2 baseballs a game, I assume hit up there during B.P., I still have a duffle bag in my room full of MLB baseballs because of this.

I do the same thing at the arena.....snagging the official NHL practice pucks that land in the seats after both teams have their morning skate. They wind up going to friends of mine that come to the games or folks that have kids or just a genuine love for the game.....

[ninersdd]

Back in 2001, Kevin Dineen tossed me a puck during warmups at Jackets-Sharks