question about foul balls given to fans

[Caveat Emperor]

I always assumed part of the reason was just to make life easier on the ballboys/ballgirls because they have to spend the entire game sitting so close to the crowd. Whereas the players are a little removed from the action, the ballboys would have to endure endless nights of "give us a ball, come on" and "you threw the last one over there" and "my kid isn't tall enough to catch them when you throw it up" etc.

It's a lot easier for the person to just say "It's policy that we don't give them out" then to have fans hounding them all night for balls that get hit down the line.

[KittyDuran]

The times I've been to the Jake - I only saw a bat boy give out one ball - he kept the others. He was talking to one of the fans but I couldn't get all the conversation - but he did mention it doesn't hurt to give out a couple (2) a night - then he said a few more words ending with "hectic"...? So I'm assuming that once the bat boys start handing out the balls everybody wants one...

[smith288]

I can say that the Columbus Clippers used them for BP prior to the games.

Im assuming thats what these are used for.

[Wheelhouse]

Originally Posted by MattyMo4Life

Can the balls be re-used? I didn't think that they could be. Umpires usually put balls out of play as soon as they touch the ground, so I can't imagine that they would allow balls to keep being used like that just because a team wants to save money.

The balls are used for BP but never in a game again.

[WVPacman]

I think its crazy myself not giving the balls to the fans.They come to a ballgame to watch their team win and to get a game ball.Yes they might be saving money but imo they should find some other way to save money and give the balls to fans.

[alexad]

Originally Posted by Wheelhouse

The balls are used for BP but never in a game again.

If the ball is not damaged, it could be used again.

Go to the gift shop. YOu will always find game used balls for sale.

I have caught a few batting practice homeruns and the baseballs are brand new. The only mark on them is from the bat. Actual game balls are dirty from the mud umpires put on them. If you ever get a ball from a pitcher in the bullpen, it will be a game ball. They are the same color. Had Danny Graves give us a ball and it looked like a game used foul ball I have.

What is amazing, I went to games my whole life and never came close to getting a ball.

I finally got one at Indy when the Reds has there AAA team there I was like 32. I have a Donnie Sadler grounder that I got off the ground with my hat. Still Treasure it.

I almost got a Sean Casey ball on a July 4th game. It hit my hand and bounced under my feet. A guy came over and lifted my foot off the ball my seat and took it. I was ticked.

A couple of years ago we attended a game vs. the Pirates on Easter Sunday.

We actually got 4 balls that day. We were sitting in leftfield stands in the first row. I caught two on the fly, had Mondesi throw one up the kids and after the game had a guy give the boys a ball that we saw Danny Graves throw up to him.

We gave one of the fly balls to a kid who was standing beside us and was trying to get a ball. His dad thanked me a million times. I told him we had two already at the time and the joy of coming to the game is the chance to get an actual major league ball.

I gave the Graves ball to my nephew.

That is where I got the comments about the color of the balls etc.....

[redsmetz]

I once had Michael Tucker toss a ball up to me from center field, even had my glove. To my great embarrassment, it glanced off my glove and dropped down behind the outfield fence. Tucker just stood there and shook his head. My family was merciless, even to this day. Error, Redsmetz...

[Roy Tucker]

From what I've seen at other games, ball persons don't just willy-nilly chuck balls into the stands. It's usually the ones that are down the 1st or 3rd baseline that sit right next to the crowd. They field a foul ball, go sit back down, and hand the ball to a fan. This seems a workable thing and I don't know why the Reds don't do this.

Our season tickets are down pretty close and I've watched the interaction between the ball boys, umpires, and the fans over the years. The ball boys around home plate are pretty busy chasing down various fouls and missed pitches (when noone is on base), getting balls for the umps, collecting bats, gloves, etc. They really don't have time to be tossing balls around and there is no place to easily hand the ball to someone.

Invariably, when they retrieve a ball, a few dozen people stand up and holler "me me me me". The ball boy either shakes his head or just avoids eye contact. Usually, many of those peope grumble and carp about it. I feel a little bad for the ball boys, I know it's not their call.

I've seen many player or coach chuck a ball into the stands. Usually, they'll point to the kid/person and that kid/person gets the ball. But often, some idiot decides he needs the ball and dives across 3 rows and over some kid to get the ball. *That* hacks me off.

Bottom line: I think the Reds should let the baseline ball-boys hand over the ball. The home plate ball boys should tend to their job and avoid it.

[BuckU]

Each baseball runs from $10-$13 a ball (maybe lower assuming that teams buy in high bulk). Times that by Stowe's estimate of balls used per game and that is over $1000 a game. Times that by the number of home games and that $81,000.

That's a possible waiver claim on a DFA'd picher

Horde the balls!

[deltachi8]

Interesting timing for this thread. Yesterday, my son had a 1/2 day of school (how 2 hours is a half day, I dont know, but thats aother topic for a different board). CC Sabathia was pitching a rehab stint in Buffalo at 1:00 against Syracuse so we went to the game.

I have been attending games for about 30 years and never got a ball. Not one. My 9 year old son came home with TWO yesterday.

Great day at the park and he was grinning ear to ear. He even brought the ball to school today to show his friends. Wanna bet he wants to go to more games now?

[smith288]

I used to have a huge bag of baseballs when I was a batboy... I lost them all when me and my brother would go to a softball field and hit homeruns.

Wonder if these ball/batboys do the same.

[KittyDuran]

Maybe someone in the Reds FO reads Reds Live! - I saw the left side batboy give foul balls to people in the stands at today's game...

[NastyBoy]

30,000 baseballs a year at $72 a dozen. $180,000 per season. If the batboy flipped everyball that was taken out of play, it would probably be double that.

Interesting article:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05142/508138.stm

[Red in Chicago]

Originally Posted by KittyDuran

Maybe someone in the Reds FO reads Reds Live! - I saw the left side batboy give foul balls to people in the stands at today's game...

i saw the same thing just a couple of games ago...i was shocked and even commented on it to a friend of mine...

[toledodan]

maybe this thread has done its job!