So there I am at the ballpark, eating a hot dog TRYING hard not to get mustard on my shirt. The weather is beautiful and I am getting ready to watch two teams go at each other for 3 plus hours while one of them goes home with a victory! Aw!
In the past month this same story has actually happened three times! Yes three times! I can’t believe I didn’t learn from at least the first two times but no I didn’t …. Ok I know you have no idea what I am talking about but here guys. In my mind I am a pretty good baseball player, I grew up with the game (thanks Dad) and still love playing and going to this day. In the past month I have had a shot at catching a foul ball — yes three times. All three times there was NO ONE SITTING in front of me and all THREE times I didn’t have a baseball glove handy! And by the way all THREE times I didn’t get the ball! I booted it! Error on Dubrow! Nice catch is something I didn’t hear! Why you ask because I never got the ball! Not even close — all THREE times the ball was in the hands of someone else! The funny thing is after I booted the first two I realized I had a hat on and should have used that to catch the ball. If I had I would have gotten all THREE balls for sure!
The funny thing is I have caught one foul ball in my life and actually got a number of other balls but those were thrown to me by players as they were entering the dugout — not sure really that counts.
Ok most of you are probably now chuckling a little bit but I want to know:
- Have you ever dropped a ball at a baseball game?
- Have you ever caught a foul ball
- What about other sports — have you ever got a football or basketball in the stands that you had to give back
- And of course what about a runaway bat that slipped out of someone’s hands?
I look forward to hearing from you and hopefully other people who have dropped and fumbled foul balls.
Lance Hoffman says:
I have never caught a foul ball or ball of any kind at a sporting event, but that might have something to do with the fact that I rarely attend them. Last time I dropped a ball at a baseball game was probably in little league, and I’m still in therapy for that.
As far as other sports, I did get a roller skate from this very nice, buxom lady standing 6’2″, but that’s an entirely different story!
Next time Merrill – just drop the hot dog – you can always get another!
Merrill Dubrow says:
Lance,
Appreciate your comments and you are right should have dropped the hot dog!
Merrill
PS – I think we all need to hear the roller skate story!
Michael Halberstam says:
E 10! (Fans are the 10th Man) Bubkas on this end. Not even close.
Tim says:
I have been to quite a lot of baseball games (both major and minor league) but have never had a good chance at catching a ball. I have had a few that were kind of close – a few seats to the left or a few rows in front.
But I did walk away with a few souvenirs from a football game. It was a Cowboys – Eagles game in Philly and I was in the first row over the Cowboys locker room. After the game a couple players threw some gear up in the stands. I still have the linebacker gloves (both of them) and a sweatband with the Cowboy star. Being a Cowboy fan this was a great take away for me. As an added bonus – the Cowboys won the game too.
I did have a friend who caught an opposing teams home run ball during a Phillies game here in Philly. He threw it back – as he should. But I am not completely sure I could do that considering I never have snagged a ball during a game. Would you have thrown it back?
Merrill Dubrow says:
Tim,
That is a great question. If I was fortunate to catch a ball at a game I wouldn’t toss it back. I would give it to a kid that was sitting close to me.
Merrill
chris hauck says:
If you want to catch balls, take your glove to a minor league game. The park is smaller and there are fewer competitors there as well. I’ve gotten several at Roughriders games. I did catch one in the outfield at the old Rangers ballpark. The best thing is to keep your clients from getting killed by bringing your glove and knowing what to do when the ball comes your way. Just don’t knock them over to get to the ball. They don’t like that…….
Tim – I would definitely have thrown it back in Philly…..it isn’t safe to do things anti-Philly in Philly.
Owen jenkins says:
August 31, 2004 Fenway Park Red Sox v Angels. Bill Mueller batting left handed . Me, sitting on 3rd base line two sections back. Mueller fouls a ball very high into night . It is spinning wildly and is looking to go 6-10 rows over our heads. We all stand and look up. Suddenly the ball stops moving. It has stopped because it is coming straight down. I reach up and catch it on the full. Ouch. I forget to hold it up in triumph and just put it into my pocket and sit down. I think the client I was with would have been impressed if I hadn’t knocked him down getting the ball!!
Merrill Dubrow says:
Owen,
Thanks for sharing. Amazing that when you catch a ball you remember every detail of the experience.
Funny about knocking down your client – I think most people when they have a chance at a ball forget about everything around them, who they are with and try to concentrate on catching it!
Merrill
Will Morris says:
In 1985 I was sitting with five other buddies at a Cardinals v. Mets game in St. Louis during a heated pennant race. We were on the 4th row right in front of the on deck circle, between the dugout and the backstop. Great seats with old time season ticket holders and directly in front of Whitey Herzog’s wife.
A foul ball came our way and since it was beyond the reach of the catcher and the others around us didn’t stand up, I had a clear shot. Instinctively I yelled out, “I got it, I got it, I got it” as my dad had trained me as a young boy. But, much to my surprise, just as the ball would have settled softly into my outstretched hands, my best friend reached for the ball and knocked away. It bounced down the rows and was calmly picked up by a little old lady in front of us. I looked and my friend and said, “I called it, what were you doing?” Our other buddies rolled around in laughter. It is a story we reflect on to this day and quite often incorporate “I got it” into a conversation.
Merrill Dubrow says:
Will,
I have read your posting 3 times and every time laugh louder than the prior!
Merrill
Ed Sugar says:
Zero, nil, zilch
But many close calls and many that got away.
Two that come to memory are:
sitting on the upper deck, just off of 3rd base at Candlestick Park on a very cold evening. Darren Dalton of the Phillies fouled one that landed under the seat to right in a pile of trash. The ball was three inches from my grasping hand, but some “battery chuck’n” Jiant fan beat me to it. Talk about adding insult to injury.
sitting behind the on deck circle at County Stadium in Milwaukee. “Old Pen Face” Jeff Leonard (we Dodger fans always have nick names for our “favorite” Giants) fouls one off and it comes screaming right at my face. Lucky for me my friend’s 15 year old son, Andrew, sticks his glove in front of my face, snarls the ball and saves me big $$ on facial surgery.
Like Master Dubrow I did get a ball tossed to me by ace Houston reliever Joe Sambino during BP, but that does not count.
In my innocent youth I once reach up for a puck that had rebounded off Gump Worsley’s stick and whizzed by the tips of my fingers. “So that’s why they wear all those pads” was my realization.
Merrill Dubrow says:
Ed,
Totally agree that getting a ball tossed to you or getting a ball during batting practice (yes fun, yes cool) doesn’t really count.
Merrill
Bob Graham says:
Normally, I would chastise you mercilessly and say “How could such a thing happen.”, but since I was sitting next to you during one of those games and was so absorbed in texting my daughter tosay “Look where I am.” that I missed the ball, too, I’ll just keep my mouth shut.
Steve Gentile says:
1976 World Series – Game 4 – Me and my dad (no siblings!)
at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York
9th inning – Johnny Bench’s second home run of the game. I still have the ball. The Reds took the series with that game.
wanna picture Merrill?
Jeff Adler says:
Maybe it is the Curse of the Bambino. Since the Babe is long gone it cannot really be clarified, so who knows what he actually rambled in the curse. Perhaps there was a clause about Red Sox fans not being able to catch balls when there is something at stake. Of course I don’t believe in curses, but Bill Buckner might disagree.
OK, I am a Mets fan — so maybe this is just a lame excuse to bring up Bill Buckner and 1986. It has been a rough year for Mets fans — we are grasping for lame excuses.
Jeffrey Lorber says:
Never caught a ball – but Merrill – do you remember we were so desperate (in Atlanta) that we actually signed up for a credit card in order to get a free baseball! I still have the damn thing – the credit card not the ball!
Christopher Dallion says:
Just saw this story this morning and thought maybe you should get this guy to teach you how it’s done.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Astros-fan-snags-foul-ball-with-cap-as-he-talks-;_ylt=AjTTW3Sje7RO5BimzEOdK5mrO4d4?urn=mlb-263041
Merrill Dubrow says:
Christopher,
Thanks for sharing – I wish I had done that before I missed out on 3 baseballs!
Merrill
Kathy Rothfusz says:
Haven’t been to a ton of MLB games, but played a LOT of softball as a youngster and young adult. My favorite play was when I was playing competitive co-ed ball. I was at 3rd base, my brother (who has a cannon for an arm) at SS. I took a hard line drive shot off my foot, which ricocheted right to my brother, who threw the runner out at 1st (who, BTW was my sister). I maintain the out should have been recorded as 5-to-6-to-3. But alas … Long story longer, I know a little something about BOOTING the ball – literally.