Fans always want homerun balls from the opposing team to be thrown back onto a field, but what if the person who caught it doesn't want to throw it back? My friend's son caught a ball at a game and decided to keep it. The crowd booed, but mostly directed their taunts at my friend (the father). One guy went so far as to tell him, "You've gotta teach the boy right...teach 'em early. We don't take that here."
Are these people insane?
I completely understand the die-hard fan mentality, but when it comes to a young kid, I just don't get it. He wanted to catch a ball at a game, and he did...Why should he have to throw it back...His father asked him if he wanted to keep it or throw it back, and he said he wanted to keep it. It should be his choice, right?
This whole story made me wonder, are there any tricks to avoid heckling in situations like this? Should you just leave immediately, or find another place to sit?
2006-10-09 16:24:43 · 16 answers · asked by [177] 3 in Sports ➔ Baseball
Poor kid....probably his first time catching a ball at a professional game. Well, the lesson here besides some adult sports addicts are completely and totally insane? Always bring a spare ball. Just in case another one comes his way, get out the spare and do the ol' switch-a-roo. Spit on it, yell at it and chuck it back onto the field, while pocketing the game ball. The freak shows in the stands won't know the difference, and he gets to keep the ball. People scare me.....
2006-10-09 16:32:36 · answer #1 · answered by frigidx 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Ok, I'm a sports nut. I have to say a few things.
1. the fan was right. He should teach his son while he is young that the "alleged" right thing to do is throw the ball back. That doesn't necessarily mean the kid HAS to.
2. The fan has every right to keep the ball and I encourage it if you are only there for ONE game. If you happen to be a season ticket holder, I would throw it back. The odds are that those fans around you might be there all year long, and might give you crap all year. This wont allow you to change seats to avoid the heckling.
3. BRING A BALL TO THE PARK. LOL. Want to be sneaky? Bring a ball to the park, if you happen to be lucky enough to catch a homerun ball, simply do a quick switch a roo and throw the other one back onto the field. The baseball players might not even notice. lol. It would be a good joke to pull too.. as you could write a little message on the ball.
The bottom line is this. if its a younger kid, nobody expects him to throw a ball back. How odd woudl that be for a young kid to over ride their selfish tendencies to throw a ball back because its a custom? What next? give candy to a more needy kid? It shouldn't be expected.
LOL... on a side note... i was at a game in which a father caught a ball.... sat down handed it to his 4 year old, and the 4 year old chucked it back on the field... .lol.... just because the kid wanted to (not because of some ingrained sense of duty to throw the ball back). The father was quite upset because HE wanted the boy to keep it as a keep sake. Everyone around him was laughing their butts off because of it. Kids will do what they want. All we can do is teach them right and wrong. In this case, there is no wrong.
If the other guys wanted him to throw it back, offer to sell it to him for 20 bucks. See how bad they want to throw it back. For 20 bucks you can buy your son a different baseball at the park.
Good Luck
2006-10-09 17:12:59 · answer #2 · answered by the_thoughtless_ponderer 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Claim to be a fan of the hitter. Even if you hate the team you can be a great admirer of the man. The crowd should be ashamed for driving away a future fan. The kid very well would have switched allegiance after catching a ball like that. Now he will be a die hard opponent. If I was in that situation, I'd find another place to sit quickly.
2006-10-09 16:33:34 · answer #3 · answered by Kuji 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like you were in Chicago, where tradition has fans throwing the ball back IF it was the visiting team who hit it. Those that were heckling, what do you think they would have done if Bonds hit it to them, for his single year h.r. record? Throw it back, or make thousands?!!!!! All kids go to a game to get a game ball, h.r., foul, whatever. Maybe ask the usher to have him escort the kid to the dugout, have the team sign a different ball for him, then he gets to walk out of the dugout, and toss the hit ball back. It's the least the players could do for their fans, especially kids, and the fans then get their way. (Unless it's a souvenir ball, as I mentioned). My team has no such rediculous tradition, so that's the best I can give you.
2006-10-09 16:38:23 · answer #4 · answered by greg j. 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If the ball is hit into the stands it's fair game for the fans. The fans just can't lean over into fair territory and interfere with the ball and the out fielders chance to catch or recover the ball.
2006-10-09 17:40:52 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not much you can do. Just put it in your pocket and watch the game. If it is that uncomfortable you might have to leave. Some places are worse than others about this. You could always give it to a little kid, people usually don't have much to say about that. Every little kid wants a baseball from a game.
2006-10-09 16:27:19 · answer #6 · answered by Blunt Honesty 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
They see at is if the team your siding on wasn't good enough too catch it then we should give that "enemies" ball back! When being realistic, the parent should of said something to defend his child! "He's a kid, I aint so you know what I would of did with this f---'n ball ! I think the crowd would of loved it.
2006-10-09 16:36:09 · answer #7 · answered by 511@ 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
take a seperate baseball to the game, and hide it, when the oppurtunity comes where the kid catches it, toss your normal baseball back. hopefully people wont notice, because most kids dont yet understand the whole opposing team thing. so go with the seperate baseball thing
2006-10-09 16:34:08 · answer #8 · answered by Chris O 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If the kid wants to keep it, let him!
It's no one else's business.
When they start yelling at you,
just yell back and say
"When YOU catch one, I'll throw THIS ONE back, ok, buddy?"
But make sure to be sarcastic.
It's more fun that way!
Who cares what they think!
2006-10-09 18:23:04 · answer #9 · answered by Mary* 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sit on the ball instead
2006-10-09 16:45:01 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋