After 58 years, finally a foul ball.....

Congratulations!

MLB Players are men playing a boys game with child like enthusiasm in many cases.

Isn't it neat that we who have in many cases spent decades directly involved in this game, can get as excited as any FAN when catching a foul ball for the first time?

congrats, I know you gave it to some adoring, excited kid!!!

Congratualations!

We were at an O's game several years ago and I was admiring what the two gals in front of me brought in to eat for lunch. Camden Yards is a "food friendly" place that lets you bring in your own food and drink, with certain restrictions. They had lovely cut up fruit, whole strawberries, chicken salad....very un-like the Cheese-Its we brought in for our kids. Well, here comes a ball right for these ladies with the lovely food in their laps. My husband stands up, catches the ball bare handed, and saves the day (and their lunch). He hands the ball over to one of the ladies, who then inturn looks at our two young sons, and hands the ball back. We have two MLB balls on our book shelves...so I know there is another story but I can't recall it. Must not have involved food.

There is a third official "National League" ball on a stand on the shelf that my hubby caught at a Braves game when he was a child. He is quite the "ball magnet".

It is as exciting at 58 as it is at 10!

Congrats hokie

LOL! Great News! Congratulations!

So you're the opposite bookend of the guy who caught two in one inning this year?

I was sitting down the foul line at a Memphis Redbirds (AAA) game a few weeks ago. As a ball whizzed over my head into the happy hands of folks a few rows behind me, I admit I felt a sharp pang of jealousy. Seems silly, since I get to play with baseballs every day and I hardly knew a player on the field.

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Thanks, that works and here's the photo above. The geezer holding the glove up is moi.

quote:

Originally posted by hokieone:
Thanks, that works and here's the photo above. The geezer holding the glove up is moi.

Swisher? My yankee fan bro says he'll trade ya, just kidding!

hokieone,
Many many years ago when the Orioles were in Ft Lauderdale for spring training husband used to take Dave every chance he could to see Ripkin. Dave and hubbie used to watch him take batting practice and always attended the annual breakfast with the players. They really enjoyed their O's outings very much. I am happy for the organization and the fans.

"Give that fan a contract"

That's Classic, Hokie. I tease my brother inlaw for taking his glove to the Angel games...well, he's caught two FB's the last couple of seasons, so I guess the joke is on me.

Hokie, that's a great picture. Make sure it goes in the shadowbox with the ball, program, box score and ticket stub.

Real men catch them barehanded. Real men also break and sprain fingers. I broke one and sprained three. A Pat Burrell homer blew all my fingers back. But I caught the ball with my other hand as it popped up in the air.

I once bobbled a Pete Rose homer at Jarry Park. I ended up on the bottom of the pile without the ball like I had fumbled a punt.

But my favorite ball memory was at BC's Alumni Stadium for a Patriots game. It was before the NFL put up nets behind the goalposts. I watched a pregnant lady beat the **** out of a young teen over an NFL football.

As kids we would get to Fenway as soon as possible for BP and get down the foul lines with fish nets. Collectively the four of us would get two or three balls every time.

Recently I saw a video on some guy who's famous for getting foul balls. He's caught hundreds in his lifetime.

quote:

RJM said....Real men catch them barehanded. Real men also break and sprain fingers. I broke one and sprained three. A Pat Burrell homer blew all my fingers back.

But.....real smart men bring a glove! Congrats hokieone. Cross that one off the bucket list.

quote:

Originally posted by fenwaysouth:

quote:

RJM said....Real men catch them barehanded. Real men also break and sprain fingers. I broke one and sprained three. A Pat Burrell homer blew all my fingers back.

But.....real smart men bring a glove! Congrats hokieone. Cross that one off the bucket list.

As an adult I never went to the park with the idea of getting a ball. But I couldn't let my 8yo son down.

Years ago at the old Busch Stadium, my wife and I were the guest of a family who's son I had coached. He had graduated that spring and they wanted to treat my wife and I. They have season tickets 3 rows behind the Cardinal's dugout. Along with this ball game, they also treated us to the buffet at Busch Stadium and so, it was a "tie affair." The game had started and my host and I are talking. I see his eyes get real big and turn to see the hitter. A foul ball is headed my way and I don't even know it. It hits me in the chest and just misses my tie clasp. It hurt so badly! For the next few years, that family had a good laugh at the coach who couldn't catch the foul ball. That is as close as I have come.

I saw a fan at SkyDome take a shot in the side of the head and get knocked unconscious because she was partying rather than paying attention.

Congrats Hokie!

I got my one and only ball about 20 years ago at Camden Yards! My wife is definitely a baseball lady and had told me for some time to "stay out of her way" if we had a chance at a ball. We were celebrating our anniversary with a weekend of baseball - she was expecting our first at the time. Eckersly was on the hill and Chris Hoiles hit a foul ball - she screamed and moved and I ended up with the ball - she still hasn't lived that one down!

Had one other that bounced between my seat and a kid celebrating his birthday - started to grab it and stopped when I saw him reaching for it...can't beat a foul ball for a birthday present!

I was sitting behind the 3rd Base dugout at Dodger Stadium earlier this season, and I'm not ashamed to say I ducked when a line drive went off the bat of a lefty and came towards my son and me. Yes, the guy behind me caught it barehanded. Yes, I wimped out! I asked my son what he was doing getting out of the way? He replied "I want to catch a foul ball, but I'm not breaking my finger for it!" Isn't that the truth.

At at BC-Wake game this spring a shot came towards us on the runway down the first base line. While people scattered I played Joe Cool and stood there like there was no chance it could hit me. Had I not hit the deck at the last second I would have got drilled. The ball nailed the drink I had placed on the wall in front of me.

My brother in law has a great story. He was at Camden Yards, getting drinks and Boog's Bar b que, with drinks in one hand and food in the other. A home run ball flies out on to Eutaw Street just as he turns and, on the fly, wedges between his bicep and chest...and stayed there! He said it hurt like heck and the seams left marks but he got the ball.

Wow, one in 58 years....I guess persistence (and patience) pays off.

My son is the opposite. We live close to Toledo and go to a couple MudHens games/year. Until last weekend, I don't think he's been to a game where he HASN'T gotten either a foul ball or a HR ball. I just looked and he's got at least a dozen in his room. Granted, it's not Camden Yards, but getting a ball when there is 10,000 people there is still somewhat of an accomplishment. He's about to turn 16, so from here on out, he's giving any balls he gets to the nearest "little kid"....he's had his fun, time to let someone else have some.

I was at a Twins/Angles playoff game a few years back. A buddy got great seats, about 20 rows up just to the 3rd base side of home plate, and just outside of the protective screen. 1 row behind me and a couple seats over was Kent Hrbek. Most Twins fans opinion is Kent should have gotten at least one Gold Glove, but it always went to Don Mattingly (East Coast bias in play) when Kent was in his prime. A hard foul ball comes straight back and Kent gets a hand on it, but it glances off and ends up several rows back. Those of us sitting near him razed him about it the rest of the game, and he joked right along with us. My best memory of not catching a foul ball.

Congrats but here's the flip side...

About 5 years ago when Granderson was still in Detroit I took my kids to the game on Easter Monday. My son was 7 or 8 at the time. I caught a foul pop off of Grandy bare handed.

Then last week we went to the Tigers/Indians game at Progressive, standing in the RF stands during BP, Ramon Santiago roped one and after it was misplayed by the guy standing next to me I picked it up.

My 13 y.o. son now has 2!! And it took me 40 yrs to get that first one.

I am fortunate enough to have caught a HR ball and several foul balls at MLB games. However, last season I took my son (6 years old) to an Angel Game to see one of my former players Hank Conger in action. Hank left us tickets a few rows behind the 3B dugout and in the 8th inning I barely had enough time to throw my hand in front of my son's face to block a line drive coming right at him, it hit my hand, bounced off the person next to us and onto the ground. My son casually picked up the ball and held it up like it was no big deal! A guy a few seats away said he had season tickets for 20 years and never caught one fall ball. I don't think my son realized how lucky he is to "catch" a foul ball.

Last month my son (7 years old now) went to SD to see one of my former players Freddie Freeman in action. In the first inning I caught a foul ball off the bat of Chace Headley and gave it to my son. So at 7 years old he now has 2 foul balls from MLB games and unfortunately will probably never realize the special feeling it is to catch a ball at a game.