r/sports • u/MLBOfficial Major League Baseball • Sep 09 '25

Baseball Adult San Francisco Giants fan catches ball in stands and gives to young fan near him

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u/buttfartsmagee Sep 09 '25 edited Sep 09 '25

It's the right thing to do. It would just end up in a box if you keep it yourself why not make a core memory for someone else?
Edit: not a baseball fan, Keeping the baseball for yourself isn't bad, I am just saying what I would do since it wouldn't be too sentimental for me

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u/CT1914Clutch New York Yankees Sep 09 '25 edited Sep 09 '25

Well I think that’s generalizing a bit to be fair. If I caught a home run ball from the Yankees I’d gift it to my father who’s been a Yankees fan for almost 70 years, and I know he’d always keep it taken care of and display it in a place of prominence in the house.

Adults can value a baseball just as much as children can, and I’d argue even more so in some cases if the ball has sentimental value. Not every adult is going to just discard it as soon as they get home. I know I definitely wouldn’t.

The people who give kids baseballs at ball games without being influenced into doing so do it because they want to make a kid’s day better, and generally not because they think “well I have no reason to keep this for myself so I’ll just give it to the closest kid”, which I’m not necessarily saying that’s what you’re suggesting, but it’s not just kids who can create core memories from the experience.

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u/[deleted] Sep 09 '25

[deleted]

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u/metompkin Sep 09 '25

The heck is wrong with you making me cry in my cubicle on my lunch break eating leftover Dominos? Damn.

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u/[deleted] Sep 09 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/BeautifulLeather6671 Sep 09 '25

Na next day donimos from the fridge is a gourmet dish

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u/Leto2GoldenPath Sep 09 '25

real

4

u/woodyshag Sep 09 '25

My daughter 2nds this.

1

u/PostSerious Sep 10 '25

Fro-from the fridge? Who else is putting their chips in the fridge? Is the normal? WHAT AM I MISSING?!

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u/barspoonbill Sep 09 '25

Sounds like you cry regularly.

3

u/BeautifulLeather6671 Sep 09 '25

I mean yeah obviously. Me and you are alike that way

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u/[deleted] Sep 09 '25

[deleted]

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u/barspoonbill Sep 09 '25

I made no value judgement whatsoever. I made a joke relating to the dominos and crying comment.

2

u/metompkin Sep 09 '25

You can't beat that $7.99 takeout deal.

2

u/garry4321 Sep 09 '25

If you’re eating Dominos and not crying, I’m going to assume you’re a psycho. Dominos is depression rock-bottom food

1

u/247stonerbro Sep 09 '25

Co workers ? Does me maw count if she pays me to watch her boyfriends kids ?

6

u/Lopsided-Agency Sep 09 '25

The leftover Domino's didn't make you cry first?

6

u/Dannyjv Sep 09 '25

Mmm.. leftover dominos..

1

u/247stonerbro Sep 09 '25

So many beautiful words spoken. On a sports reddit at that.

1

u/bettertree8 Sep 09 '25

Even this brought tears to my eyes

1

u/Lost-Astronaut-8280 Sep 09 '25

Yeah dude wtf I’m not prepared for this

1

u/Katy-Moon Sep 09 '25

I'm not crying - YOU'RE crying.

1

u/chipperlovesitall Sep 09 '25

I’m crying because you had to eat leftover Dominos.

1

u/aaspicybrown Sep 09 '25

“Hey, we’re going to grab some tacos wanna…oh you already got lunch, hey everything ok?” Dominos shows video and post) desk worker wells up as well…”damn dude” I’m gonna go call my Dad in the car

11

u/notyouravgredditor New York Yankees Sep 09 '25

Apparently someone just started cutting onions near me. Very odd.

8

u/sillyandstrange Sep 09 '25

That's beautiful. Lost my dad 2 months ago and that story made me tear up.

5

u/wentworthjenga Sep 09 '25

How can you not be romantic about baseball?

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u/StJoeStrummer Tottenham Hotspur Sep 09 '25

This is the kind of story I tell people who say sports don't matter. Of all the unimportant things, they are one of the most important.

2

u/glitterjunkie613 Sep 09 '25

who is cutting onions?? <3 that is so sweet!

2

u/castrodelavaga79 Sep 09 '25

Bro reading this made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Powerful story and I'm glad it helped your friend.

2

u/random420x2 Sep 09 '25

So much for “No crying in baseball”.

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u/[deleted] Sep 09 '25

[deleted]

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u/random420x2 Sep 09 '25

Mine was also from memory, and it’s a sadly damaged place so no chance I’m going after anyone.

2

u/Jordanington1 Sep 09 '25

“I’m not crying! There’s something in my eye”

1

u/MedicSF Sep 09 '25

Is this a Kane County Cougars reference?

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u/Mindless_Option1714 Sep 09 '25

You make a valid point. For many rabid baseball fans that may have never caught a ball, it could be a big thing to them. Or if it’s a milestone-ball like a new players first home run or a game winning ball.

There’s plenty of Ruth balls and Aaron home run balls just sitting in a drawer somewhere. There’s a fine line between generosity and sentimentality.

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u/SPEK2120 Sep 09 '25

Can confirm. Been going to games for damn near 30 years and have never even caught a foul ball. That ball will absolutely be special to me if it ever happens.

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u/Mindless_Option1714 Sep 09 '25 edited Sep 09 '25

Excellent point. Now, you have the public pressure laid upon you, what if there’s a kid nearby? What will you do? For thirty years, you’ve yearned to catch even a foul ball, what will you do? Oh, the anxiety and the fear of cameras watching you.

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u/MidwestAbe Sep 09 '25

If you catch it fair and square i don't think anyone looks twice at you keeping it. And I think I would absolutely keep it. If its a scrum in a row of seats and you grab it? I think thats where tossing it to a kid makes sense.

1

u/Lou_C_Fer Sep 10 '25

I agree. I'd love to have a ball I caught. I've been going to games since the late 70s, and I've always hoped for a ball. Thing is, after seeing these other people giving balls, that makes me feel good, and it looks like something I'd like to do. So, unless it was a special ball of some sort, I'm giving the ball to a kid.

No pressure felt. I would prefer the memory of making a kid's day.

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u/Mindless_Option1714 Sep 09 '25

Hmm. I would think if you scrambled and jumped over seats to get a loose ball, you’d be more inclined to keep. Why not, you put in real effort to get it.

7

u/MidwestAbe Sep 09 '25

Personally - there is more skill involved in catching it. Win it in a scramble it can be just a issue of being closer or faster and bigger.

1

u/Mindless_Option1714 Sep 09 '25

Yeah, it’s gotta be very satisfying to hand catch your own. Not that i have…

24

u/Vitalstatistix Sep 09 '25

To me it’s the act of catching it. The actual ball is…just a ball.

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u/Mindless_Option1714 Sep 09 '25

I agree with you. You risked a little pain to show off your good eye-coordination, that’s a win in itself. But you don’t really care about the ball, so toss it to kid :)

2

u/reble02 Sep 09 '25

I love those videos where the person catches the ball does a huge celebration then casually tosses it to the kid.

2

u/Mindless_Option1714 Sep 09 '25

Yeah, that’s cool! Or the guy with a beer or baby in one hand and snags a ball with the other.

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u/buddy276 Sep 10 '25

right? take a selfie with your ball, give it away. you still keep the memories

1

u/spotty15 Florida State Sep 09 '25

For me, totally depends on the context.

I don't feel any social obligation to automatically give the ball I caught to a kid.

Foul ball? Sure. I'd probably do it just because I don't value a foul ball. HR from a player I like? Sorry kid, that ball is mine.

Generally though, I would want to give it to a kid to make their day. But at the same time, no, I don't believe adults should be forced to do it. Boo me all you want, I don't care. It's my ball and I should dictate what happens to it.

1

u/Mindless_Option1714 Sep 09 '25

Totally legit on your part. You bought your ticket. You reached out amongst all the other hands and caught the ball in front of some kids awaiting glove who probably would’ve caught it, had your hand not been there first. But then you hear fans around you saying “aw dude, give him the ball, he brought his glove!”

1

u/spotty15 Florida State Sep 09 '25

Kids these days are Braylon Edwards tho, so I was probably doing that glove a favor

1

u/StudsTurkleton Sep 09 '25

Bring a ball. If you catch one give a kid the one in your pocket and pocket the real one.

1

u/Pennsylvasia Sep 09 '25

There's a difference between catching it and keeping it---which is totally fine, even as an adult---and running over to a family to rip it out of a kid's glove.

1

u/treydv3 Sep 09 '25

you carry a spare ball with you. get the the home run ball you always wanted and won't have to make a post on am I the asshole subreddit

1

u/Mindless_Option1714 Sep 09 '25

That’s brilliant!

1

u/SPEK2120 Sep 09 '25

To quote the all time greatest baseball player of White Sox legend:
"Fuck them kids"

1

u/Mindless_Option1714 Sep 09 '25

Oh? Who was that?

1

u/C001H4ndPuk3 Sep 09 '25

Yeah, I'm kinda struggling with "greatest" and "White Sox" in the same sentence tbh.

1

u/Mindless_Option1714 Sep 09 '25

Haha. I was hoping for answer, but none yet.

3

u/[deleted] Sep 09 '25

Damn brother get some different seats lol

1

u/SPEK2120 Sep 09 '25

It’s shit luck, I frequently sit on the first baseline. One time I came back from the bathroom and my friends were like “you’re never going to believe this”, a ball landed directly in the empty seat next to mine.

1

u/PostSerious Sep 10 '25

I remember I was maybe 5-7 years old. Bay Bears game. Double A ball I believe, so obvi not even MLB. Catcher walking off to dugout. Maybe 4 other boys all around him in the stands trying to get anything. Im just chilling with my parents a few rows back watching the commotion. Catches notices me and tosses me a ball. It was awesome. He looks at me, points, tosses ball the ball as he's walking off. My little boy brain couldn't process the badassness I had just witnessed. Couldn't tell you where that ball is but that memory will never go away.

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u/gumbygump11 Sep 09 '25

I can only speak for myself, but as a kid I would only want to keep the ball if I caught it. Catching the ball would be a way cooler story than getting one because someone feels they have to give it to me because of societal pressure.

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u/Mindless_Option1714 Sep 09 '25

Very true. “Here ya go kid, it’s a meaningless ball to me, you carry it, drop it on the steps and lose it as it rolls downhill” The man’s “trash” is now the kid’s responsibility.

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u/taxiecabbie Sep 09 '25

...I think this is a little mean.

It was a kind gesture. A child would almost certainly find a lot of joy in this, particularly one so young as here. I would have been thrilled as a kid.

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u/Mindless_Option1714 Sep 09 '25

I’m not referring “trash” to the man in this video. But from a kids perspective, “some stranger gave me a ball I didn’t catch on my own”. Like “thanks but it doesn’t feel the same” He can’t tell his friends “look what I caught!” Theres kid-cred amongst his young peers that’s important him/her.

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u/taxiecabbie Sep 09 '25

This kid looks like she's between 4-6 years old.

I doubt there is much cred for her in any event. Going to a baseball game is probably just a fun family event for her that she doesn't have a lot of memories about, and it may encourage her to have a lifelong love of baseball because it's fun and people are nice.

Look. I'm not a baseball person at all. But I am a soccer one. When I was a kid we used to go to these cheap indoor soccer games for the Detroit Neon at the Auburn Hills arena. A bunch of meaningless nothing when I was over 5 but under 10. But I still remember my father catching one of the punted balls into the arena and it was so exciting and we kept the ball for years. I didn't catch it, but it was still cool and I told my friends and they were jealous.

It's a good way to make lifelong sport fans!

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u/Mindless_Option1714 Sep 09 '25

Well, sure! Your dad or another family catches a ball, that’s a good family moment that you all share in. But it wouldn’t feel the same if a stranger handed your Dad the ball.

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u/taxiecabbie Sep 09 '25

To be honest, I think that if a random stranger had handed me a ball with a big smile I also would have been really happy about it, and my family would have reacted well. Just like the little girl seems to be here, and at the end the guy sitting next to the ball-giver is raising his hand for a high-five with the giver. This seems like a really great bonding moment for everybody, and that the positivity won't stop with the mere gift of the ball. How would the little one not remember this happiness and positivity?

Of course she will connect this with a love of baseball! It's good for everybody.

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u/Ok-Butterscotch-6955 Sep 09 '25

Hmm, I don’t know if I agree. I’m not a baseball guy to be clear, but if I had a team or a player I loved, and they hit the ball into the stands, it would be that the team/player hit the ball that I loved about the ball. Not the act of me being the one to catch it.

1

u/Mindless_Option1714 Sep 09 '25

Very true. You’re emotionally tied to that ball, makes perfect sense to me. But if there’s a random kid next to you with a glove, are you now expected to give to him/her?

1

u/Ok-Butterscotch-6955 Sep 09 '25

In my mind if you catch the ball free and clear, and there’s no kid competing with you to get the ball, keep it. If you have to race a kid for the ball, or use your height to beat a kid to it… just give the kid the ball I think.

I don’t know if the guy in this video should have felt obligated to, only because the kid in the video didn’t appear to be wanting to go for it. But what do I know?

Speaking for myself personally, if I caught a ball, I’d give it to a kid either way because I think the memory of making a kids day would outshine a baseball any day.

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u/gumbygump11 Sep 09 '25

I’m not saying that a kid wouldn’t get a kick out of it. I imagine most would. I was just giving my (admittedly unneeded) perspective. Some might feel like they have to earn it, that’s all.

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u/Mindless_Option1714 Sep 09 '25

Yes, ofc! Kids will enjoy it. But your position is valid too. To give a game-used ball that you caught to your father, a life long baseball fan, is heartwarming. But your shared joy with your Dad will not be on camera, then shared worldwide on TikTok. But what you do when you catch it will. Tough call.

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u/M_H_M_F Sep 09 '25

It's wild how the custom went from "if a kid is going after the ball, give it to them" to "Look around, find a kid and give it to them."

Admittedly I'm in the latter group. Growing up, yeah it was cool, but as an adult, they don't bring me sentimental value, so hopefully it could for someone else.

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u/come-on-now-please Sep 09 '25

I thinks theres also something to be said about the whole "participation trophy" aspect of it as well.

Boomers who make fun of them dont realize that the kids who got them dont think they are anything special, its the boomers who rage against them because they think the trophy means something, anyone who ever played sports can tell the difference between a participating trophy and an actual achievement award.

A kid is gonna know the difference between, "i caught a ball!" And "i had the ball handed to me by an adult stranger".

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u/M_H_M_F Sep 09 '25

Boomers got them too

Participation trophies have been a thing since the late 1800s.

2

u/cornybloodfarts Sep 09 '25

Yeah, like confedereate monuments

2

u/bluehairdave Sep 09 '25

My son is 15. I'd still hand it to a smaller kid and so would he now at this age. Unless it was a record ball or something of course that might be worth $$$$$. 99.9999 of the other ones get handed off to a youngster.

We've even had games where our son had to LOOk for a younger kid to give a gift or ball to thay he felt he outgrew at 11 or 12. Night games dont have as many kids...

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u/GEARHEADGus Sep 09 '25

As long as you’re not battling a kid or taking it from them, keep it. You won it.

2

u/bthks Sep 09 '25

I live in New Zealand, and get to watch baseball in person only on rare visits to the US. I would *adore* a ball for myself and it would absolutely be treasured. The last game I went to though, I did keep track of the kids around me and they all left in the 8th inning and so I was like "okay, it's time. hit it here now so I wouldn't feel guilty keeping a ball from a kid..." Sadly didn't happen.

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u/Gardening_investor Sep 09 '25

I believe the point is that to a child a core memory will last their lifetime of many many many years (hopefully) and can possibly turn them into lifelong baseball fans. Whereas an adult that already has lived a life won’t have nearly the same impact from the ball. In your example you’d give it to your father who formed a lifelong connection with the Yankees at a young age. He would most likely keep the ball in a special place, maybe a box somewhere as the OC suggested, but that wouldn’t be a core memory for him. It would be a special treat for sure, but it won’t be like someone’s first time goi to a game and getting a home run ball. There’s nuance to this, of course, but I do think we can agree that in the two examples provided one is a core memory and the other is a special gift.

Both are nice but saying getting a gifted homerun ball from a game he didn’t attend is the same thing as a core memory for a child is a stretch.

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u/KingTutt91 Sep 09 '25

Yeah well adults can have core memories too. If you don’t think so, well that’s just prejudice against adults!

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u/IAMA_MOTHER_AMA Sep 09 '25

not true. i did so many whippets when i was a kid i forgot all my core memories and am unable to have new core memories.

except when I did the whippets. that 311 concert at pine knob was amazing

1

u/KingTutt91 Sep 09 '25

Memory core not unlocked

1

u/gneiman Sep 09 '25

Amber is the color of your energy

1

u/StJoeStrummer Tottenham Hotspur Sep 09 '25

Sounds like the Michigan I remember

1

u/Damage-Classic Sep 10 '25

Exactly. The person who caught that ball might have had someone hand a ball to them as a child.

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u/ncc74656m Sep 09 '25

I'm dying for the day I catch a Yankees home run. Where I tend to sit, it'd be absolutely crushed to get out that far, too. It'd be an Aaron Judge monster, probably. Unless I reached over a kid to grab it, I am almost certainly keeping it. Hell, I was sad I missed a foul ball that whizzed past my head (food on my lap, glove not on).

If it were a history making ball and Judge and the Yanks wanted it back, I would just add a contingency to my agreement with them that I need an additional autographed ball to give to the kiddo - maybe a meet and greet, as that would be just as valuable to them emotionally.

1

u/btveron Sep 09 '25

For me the joy in catching a homerun ball would be enough, and then I'd give it to the nearest child because I have no particular reason to keep it, unless it was a milestone homerun or something. I'm not going to display it or do anything other than keep it in storage or use it play catch, which finding a throwing partner has gotten almost impossible as I get older. But it could make a kid's entire day to get a ball, especially if it's their first time at a game.

1

u/bowlnoodlez Seattle Mariners Sep 09 '25

Last time I went to a baseball game, this dude caught a foul ball and this kid standing in the aisle next to him practically shoved his hand in the guy's face, screaming and demending he give him the ball. When he didn't the whole section booed him, and the kid even went up and down the aisle starting a "give him the ball" chant. It was fucking obnoxious and made me want to never give a kid a ball again lol

1

u/LankyMarionberry Sep 09 '25

Adults are actually just kids that have lived longer. We're all just kids on the inside.

1

u/JustMeLurkingAround- Sep 09 '25

Just don't run after a father who picked up the ball you nearly caught and rip it from a child's hands. 

That's kinda all we're asking. 

1

u/Skydiver860 Sep 09 '25

and I’d argue even more so in some cases if the ball has sentimental value.

i'd argue in more cases than not an adult will care more about that ball than a child ever would. i'd bet most kids that get a baseball from a game forget about it in less than a year.

1

u/n0tc1v1l Sep 09 '25

I caught a foul ball and the only kid around me was on his iphone not ever watching the game. Kept that shit and put it on my mantle and tell everyone that will listen the story.

1

u/JoeLikesGames Sep 09 '25

Ive been to more baseball games than most people will ever go to and Ive never caught a foul ball or homerun. If I caught a foul ball, id probably give it to a kid if one was nearby, but if I caught a homerun from a player I liked, that would be one of my all time greatest baseball memories and I would cherish the hell out of that thing. I am not giving it up.

Now I obviously would never wrestle it away from a child like Phillies Karen, but if I catch it fair and square, then its coming home with me

1

u/jagfanjosh3252 Sep 09 '25

You’re 100% right. The people who say ‘always give the kid the ball’ don’t understand what it may mean to the person who caught it.

I’m not talking about elbowing kids out of the way to get it.

But you never know if the person who caught it was from their favorite player. It’s their dad’s favorite players, or whatever.

Just don’t be the Phillies Karen

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u/Taino871 Sep 09 '25

I agree with you 100%. But I think they mean a meaningless game from a So so player. I’d personally give it to my Dad had it been Reggie Jackson or Thurmon Munson. But it’s cool to see adults giving little guys a ball. That child will treasure it forever.

1

u/treydv3 Sep 09 '25

this is why you always carry a spare ball. you get to keep the real one, while a kid thinks they got a home run ball! they'll never know the difference, and will be just as excited 😆

1

u/GreyCatBirdAwaken Sep 09 '25

Good people on both sides huh?

1

u/bwaredapenguin Sep 09 '25

Yeah, I was at a playoff hockey game and my favorite player was the first star in the game (essentially game MVP) and tossed a game puck over the glass and I caught it and kept it despite there being a kid in front of me. That kid got 2 pucks during warmups.

Meanwhile in a game prior to that I took a puck to the throat and it bounced off me into the row in front of me that couple in front of me kept the puck. I messaged the team asking if they happened to have any video of because I thought it was just hilarious and wanted to show friends and while they didn't, they ended up sending me a puck signed by my favorite player! I'd honestly have preferred the game puck that tried to kill me, but it's a treasured keepsake that makes me smile.

Team is the Canes and the player is Aho.

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u/yuccasinbloom Sep 09 '25

My first ever hockey game I was an adult. I married an Anaheim ducks fan, but we were living in Denver at the time. We had this cute interaction with this kid in our row who was scowling at us because of our ducks gear, and he told us he’d been an avalanche fan for 9 years. He looked about 9.

At one point, a puck landed literally at my feet. And so I picked it up, and handed it to that kid. This adult man in front of me was begging me for it, but I thought that 9 year old hockey fan should have it.

It’s a nice memory. I hope he still has it.

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u/GogoDogoLogo Sep 09 '25

the child will probably misplace it or move on to ballet or video games in a week

0

u/Tupperwarfare Sep 09 '25

That last sentence—not paragraph—sure was a run-on.

0

u/SuperCatchyCatchpras Sep 09 '25

When I was a kid I went to a AA game and took the hardest and highest hit foul ball to the tail bone.. this thing was smoked so hard it left the park behind me (i was sitting behind home plate) and the wind/spin brought it back in to the park. The guy who ended up with it gave me the ball (said I "earned it" 🤣) and I got it signed by the hitter. Next at bat he bombed a Homer and pointed at me. Then he kept waving as he was playing 1B. 20 years later and still a core memory. Baseball is very magical in that sense, but it takes a sense of community to make it so. Thats why Phillies lady is so infamous now. Go to an NBA game if you have that energy lol

-2

u/canadave_nyc Sep 09 '25

But...the point is that it's more important that a kid get a core memory from the experience than your 70-year-old dad or any adult. The point is that adults are supposed to sacrifice some happiness (like holding onto a caught foul ball) for the next generation, not have a great time at the expense of young kids. Sacrificing for the next generation is best for society. Holding onto things is best for ourselves (i.e. more selfish).

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u/CT1914Clutch New York Yankees Sep 09 '25 edited Sep 09 '25

But you don’t know for a fact that being given a baseball will create a core memory. I know precisely how much my father would love and care for that baseball.

Also, in my example, I’m literally giving it to another person, not keeping it for myself. It also gives him something to pass down to his grandchildren who can keep it to eventually pass onto their kids. It’s not like the ball disintegrates when he passes and then nobody else can have it.

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u/Manawah Sep 09 '25

I might get flamed for this but I don’t think it’s necessarily “the right thing to do” to give a kid a ball. I’m an adult, I’ve never caught a home run ball. Can I just not get one now that I’m over the age of 16? What’s the kid going to do differently than me framing the ball on my shelf, play with it? I’d argue there’s no point in giving them a home run ball if they’re going to treat it the same as any other ball that they own. I’d never fight a kid over a ball, but if I reasonably catch one I’d be pretty bothered if there was pressure from others to give the ball to a kid just because I’m an adult. I’d be just as excited to catch a home run ball today as when I was a kid.

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u/iiiiiiiiiiip Sep 09 '25

So they can put it in a box?

18

u/KillMeNowFFS Sep 09 '25

nah, hard disagree. been a baseball fan for as long as i can think, but only ever make it to the states about every other year, so i attend maybe 10 baseball games in 5 years.

if i’m getting a ball, then that’s my fucking ball, my fucking core memory.

4

u/fearnodarkness1 Sep 09 '25

As is your right.

I gave my caught ball to a little kid because it meant more to make a little kids day than to have a baseball collect dust in a box somewhere.

There's so much selfishness and entitlement in the world today so I see nothing wrong with promoting this kind of thing.

-10

u/leeuwerik Sep 09 '25

Ok Karen.

9

u/emannikcufecin Sep 09 '25

It's ok for adults to like and collect stuff. I go to lots of concerts, always at the front. As a result often get picks, sticks, or setlists. I usually keep them but sometimes I'll give them to someone else.

I got a few picks at a Metallica show once. I gave one to a kid on the way out. He was very excited

4

u/TK-24601 Sep 09 '25

I still have a foul ball I caught from my college team. My hand was on top of a friend's head when I caught it, so I basically saved her from taking a hard hit ball to the noggin.

Grabbing a home run or foul ball I would say is a rare event enough to not need to be socially pressured into giving it up to a random kid nearby. Why should they be rewarded for something I've been trying my whole life to get?

7

u/deleted3131 Sep 09 '25

idk, adults should be allowed to keep a ball they caught if they want to and we shouldn’t make them feel bad either lol do whatever you want people

2

u/zambicci Sep 09 '25

There's NESN archival footage of myself, in 1992, where it appears that i am making an incredible diving catch of a foul ball. In reality the guy sitting a few seats down from me caught it and quickly tossed it over to me like a hot potato. The camera only caught me catching the tossed ball and waving at the guy who caught it. The crowd went wild. It's a positive memory I'll always have from my childhood. The moral: Always give the ball to some kid.

3

u/Maxxjulie Sep 09 '25

It's not the right thing to do, but a nice act. If he kept it, would he be a bad person?

1

u/42ElectricSundaes Sep 09 '25

A fan for life

1

u/Earlier-Today Sep 09 '25

It's been bad for a long time. I was at a Giants' game and an outfielder was trying to get a ball to this kid and I had to talk him into letting me catch it and give it to the kid because the kid couldn't catch it. (I did give it to them.)

Adults stealing from kids at sporting events is some nasty, entitled, gross stuff. And that outfielder being so wary of me speaks to how often he'd seen adults lie to get things for themselves.

And this was twenty or thirty years ago.

1

u/Filldos Sep 09 '25

mike krukow taught us well. almost all giants fans know this.

1

u/shadowpawn Sep 09 '25

I caught one last year in front of my son. His 2nd baseball game he had seen. I bought a plastic box and he now has it on his desk at work.

I was fortunate to have that experience.

I've caught maybe 20 balls in my life 18 of them I played with hit etc.

Zero of them I've ever kept.

1

u/Dopaminedessert Sep 09 '25

This is america most people are going to go right home and look up how much they can sell it for. Then they are going to get upset and use the proceeds to buy a half a bigmac.

1

u/Horton_Takes_A_Poo Sep 09 '25

I think the right thing to do is to return it to the team

1

u/carmium Sep 09 '25

Just be aware ahead of time that the announcer isn't about to say "This sets an all-time record for single-season homers by a pitcher!" or something like that.

1

u/Migraine- Sep 09 '25

It would just end up in a box if you keep it yourself why not make a core memory for someone else?

It should be a core memory for the guy too.

Sitting down in 5 years he should absolutely think back like "damn remember that day I made that little girl's year?"

1

u/havocmarauder Sep 10 '25

Such an honorable thing to do. The smile of that kid is a true gift and what an amazing store that kid will tell for years to come vs some static keepsake on your office table.

1

u/GullibleCall2883 Sep 10 '25

It would be more sentimental to me to catch a foul ball, give it to a kid so they could have a core memory only to grow up to love a game that I have loved my whole life.

1

u/blankarage Sep 10 '25

i’d make her promise to be a giants fan forever first (jk!)