MLB 2022: The Long and Winding Thread

Yes.

 

As I addressed in the second half of that comment. JC's remark was about foul balls.

 

Have to ask this guy

Meet Zack Hample, MLB Ball Hawk Extraordinaire

 

This little baseballer's broken heart equivalent ...

 

That first part I would have agreed with 10-15 years ago. I've never gotten a game ball (came close a few times), but always told myself as long as I got it fair and square and didn't have to bump aside/outrace a kid for it I would keep it since it was my first. Now that I'm in my 50s, I've decided that if I get one I'll probably take a cellphone pic of it just as evidence I had it in my possession and then look for the nearest kid to give it to. It'll make his/her night and maybe give them positive reinforcement to keep coming to ballgames. And yes, if it's obvious a ball is thrown in meant for someone and it happens to bounce over to me, I'm definitely giving it up. (That's my roundabout way of saying that Dodger fan is a dickhead; which is the same view Batman had in this particular occurence).

That said, I've seen YouTube compilations where they show a kid who was close to getting a ball but someone else just happened to be in a better position to get it, and the TV cameras will show them crying and/or pouting because they missed out on the ball. Then the announcers take pity on them and send someone down to give them another ball. I say screw that; don't make kids think they should get rewarded for throwing a tantrum because they thought they were entitled to a foul ball.

My favorite foul ball story is one a co-worker in San Diego told me in the '90s. This dude is generally one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, and he told me about being at the Padres game a couple days earlier and a foul ball came his way and he was able to get it. Out of nowhere, this kid who my co-worker said was sitting a section or two away shows up and asks him for the ball. My co-worker refuses and of course the idiots sitting around him start shaming him and telling him to give the kid the ball. Of course, my colleague, being the nice guy that he is and not wanting to look like a jerk, finally gave the kid the ball. I told him he should have told the kid to buzz off; if he was sitting in the row behind or in front of him, I could see maybe giving to him, but not when he was nowhere near where the ball landed.

 

There's an app video for that. People, dude.

 

I remember him well. Of course, it wasn't that long ago when he came up with the Orioles and he still played a few games in the majors as recently as 2020. He didn't have a terrible career, but certainly didn't live up to expectations.

Maybe the hype around Rutschman stands out to me just because I pay more attention to prospects on their way up now than I did back then.

 

Fuck that. I’m on the far side of 50 and I’ve never been within seeing distance of a major league foul ball. If I get the ball fairly, I’m keeping it.

 

So what do you do with that real important baseball?

 

Didn't Wieters have TJ surgery, which really impacted his career?

 

I explained what I would probably do if I got one at a game now. What exactly are you trying to ask?

 

Nah, that was an easy triple even if the RF didn't bobble it. That video above of his manager telling him he's going to the Show was a solid example of excellent social media work by the organization. Really well done.