So I caught a milestone HR...and no one cares

[mdube16]

The Miami Marlins opened up thier new ballpark on Tuesday night vs the University of Miami. They only sold 10k tickets for the game which was sold out. I sat out in RF and told my buddy "if we can get the first Marlins homerun ball at the stadium the team will want it and we can negotiate something for it" Well long story short....Hanley Ramierez hits an opposite field bomb that I sort of catch (well...i got it in my hat and then picked it up when it fell out). I was all sorts of fired up and ready to ask for opening day tickets and some sort of GU item when they came looking for it......which they never did. I know its not a huge money ball but you would think it would be at least big enough for the team to ask for it! There was a high school game the night before where a 15 year old did homer and they took that ball and the first pitch ball for the Marlins HOF, but the first Marlin HR that was all over the news and internet as the first HR they dont want? Crazy stuff. Anyway I guess Ill have Hanley sign and inscribe it at some point as the first HR and have a really cool item in my collection. Here is the news video of me getting the ball and a picture of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flzQsZUGBV4&feature=g-upl&context=G22aa932AUAAAAAAAAAA

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb345/ldsports/hanelyfirstHRball.jpg

[marino13]

That was awesome!

If you really want to sell it - I might know a couple Marlins fans willing to take a crack at it!

:D

[sox83cubs84]

In 1998, both myself and a former Wrigley Field Ballhawk caught historic Devil Rays home runs outside Al Lang Field (where the Rays trained then). Andy Mielke, former hawk, made a clean, on the fly catch of a Bubba Trammell home run, the first ever hit by a Ray. The team made no offer to him for it, and, although I've lost touch with him, as far as I know, he still has it. Mine was a first of lesser proportions, it being the first home run a Devil Rays pitcher ever gave up, to a college player named Brooks Badeaux, whose fly ball homer to righ landed at my feet for the easy pickup. I don't have that one anymore, though I know who does, and he may someday make it available. FWIW: I also got the first ever run and home run achieved in Comiskey Park by a Devil Ray. Tampa Bay came in for a 3-game series in April, and was shut out Friday. On Saturday, Kevin Stocker smacked a home run between the double walls in right center, out of access to fans. One of the Devil Rays' relief pitchers at the time was Ramon Tatis, whom I became buds with in 1997 when he was a Cub. He retrieved the ball and gave it to me. Neither of mine are on the level of importance of Andy's, but they're still firsts, nonetheless.

Dave Miedema

[mdube16]

That was awesome!

If you really want to sell it - I might know a couple Marlins fans willing to take a crack at it!

:D

I may....trying to see what to do for now. If you know someone with serious interest you can contact me at mdube16@bellsouth.net although Im not sure i would want to sell it....but as they say everything is for sale in the end!

Cool thing is its easy to prove I was the one who got it and I guess it would have to come with a certified/notarized letter from me for documentation.

Thanks all for looking!

[sportscentury]

mdube16 - congrats on the grab. Would you email me at gameusedequip2@hotmail.com, please?

[cohibasmoker]

The Miami Marlins opened up thier new ballpark on Tuesday night vs the University of Miami. They only sold 10k tickets for the game which was sold out. I sat out in RF and told my buddy "if we can get the first Marlins homerun ball at the stadium the team will want it and we can negotiate something for it" Well long story short....Hanley Ramierez hits an opposite field bomb that I sort of catch (well...i got it in my hat and then picked it up when it fell out). I was all sorts of fired up and ready to ask for opening day tickets and some sort of GU item when they came looking for it......which they never did. I know its not a huge money ball but you would think it would be at least big enough for the team to ask for it! There was a high school game the night before where a 15 year old did homer and they took that ball and the first pitch ball for the Marlins HOF, but the first Marlin HR that was all over the news and internet as the first HR they dont want? Crazy stuff. Anyway I guess Ill have Hanley sign and inscribe it at some point as the first HR and have a really cool item in my collection. Here is the news video of me getting the ball and a picture of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flzQsZUGBV4&feature=g-upl&context=G22aa932AUAAAAAAAAAA

http://i1201.photobucket.com/albums/bb345/ldsports/hanelyfirstHRball.jpg

I'd be interested in it. Did you save the stubs and have an usher witness it?

Jim

flaa1a@comcast.net

[mdube16]

I gotten quite a few emails so I figure this is what I am telling anyone who wrote me but I am willing to listen to anyones advice. I also think if its going to be a nominal cash amount I may as well just keep it and have a great item.


I really dont know what I want to do with it at this point. Its so hard to guess a value which means if I decide to just sell it for the best price I probably have to go to auction with it. I do have a call also in to the Marlins so Ill see what comes of that as well.

I have a printed ticketfast ticket but the thing is they only sold 10,000 tickets for the game and none in the outfield. We just went and sat there as they didnt assign those seats. The only real proof I have is the video which is clearly me getting it. There was a much better video the marlins put on the jumbotron but I havent found that online yet but will be seeing if there is any way I can get it from them, especially if they dont want it.

[kylehess10]

I really dont know what I want to do with it at this point. Its so hard to guess a value which means if I decide to just sell it for the best price I probably have to go to auction with it. I do have a call also in to the Marlins so Ill see what comes of that as well.




I know EXACTLY how you feel. Back in July of 2010 I was the first collector to own a Jason Heyward game worn jersey and it was the highlight of my collection. I had no intentions to sell the jersey and simply wanted to keep it. This was during Heyward's hype though and I got a few great offers for it and ended up selling it for 7 times the price I paid for it.

I was really lucky to get such a high price for it, but if it wasn't for selling it within that week, I'd be lucky to get just the price I originally paid for it if I was selling it right now.

So basically, if you're going to sell this ball, sell it right now since the New Marlins Ballpark is going through its own hype right now with Opening Day coming soon. If you can't think of a good price to ask, then you could put it on eBay with all the proof you have, set a high Buy It Now, and just take consideration of the offers you receive for it.

[marino13]

I know EXACTLY how you feel. Back in July of 2010 I was the first collector to own a Jason Heyward game worn jersey and it was the highlight of my collection. I had no intentions to sell the jersey and simply wanted to keep it. This was during Heyward's hype though and I got a few great offers for it and ended up selling it for 7 times the price I paid for it.

I was really lucky to get such a high price for it, but if it wasn't for selling it within that week, I'd be lucky to get just the price I originally paid for it if I was selling it right now.

So basically, if you're going to sell this ball, sell it right now since the New Marlins Ballpark is going through its own hype right now with Opening Day coming soon. If you can't think of a good price to ask, then you could put it on eBay with all the proof you have, set a high Buy It Now, and just take consideration of the offers you receive for it.


Could not say it better!

[coxfan]

Good luck on getting any more authentication, such as the video you mentioned. There are thousands of famous balls around somewhere, such as ones hit over the decades of MLB history, that are without value on the market because they cannot be proven.

The famous "last at-bat at Rosenblatt" in the College World Series seems destined for similar obscurity. It was the walkoff single by South Carolina in 2010 that won the national championship, and ended 61 years of College World Series played at Rosenblatt Stadium (demolished and replaced before 2011.)

The UCLA RF that picked up the ball kept it for months, being aware of its significance. Then he claims he sent it to a South Carolina student he knows. But the school refuses to trade for it, saying its authenticity could never be fully assured.

[mdube16]

Well the video on the news is clear enough to prove I got it....there is just never anyway to prove the ball i claim is that ball is the same one. Really even if a ball has a MLB Hologram you coud theoretically change it to another ball with a little glue and secretly keep the one that the holo was on first. The only trouble would be with this one or any other ball is you could never sell the second one if you assigned the authenticity to the first one.

Waiting to see if the Marlins contact me today to decide what to do. I think Kyles point of sell now if you are going to sell is very valid. The hype will reach its pinnicle between April 1st and April 4th (exhibitions vs the Yankees on the 1st & 2nd and then opening day on the 4th). I have a week or two to decide make up my mind before that. Also maybe if i go the auction route ill involve some of the local news to create buzz.

[35th&Shields]

Just a Thought. Why dont you call Grey Flannel? With their new reality TV Series and all, they might want to use it to help promote for there show. Catch some attention that way. ?? Again just a thought.

Joe

[mdube16]

Just a Thought. Why dont you call Grey Flannel? With their new reality TV Series and all, they might want to use it to help promote for there show. Catch some attention that way. ?? Again just a thought.

Joe

Great Idea...ill give them a call

[David]

Especially if you kept the ticket, I think the video will prove powerful evidence if you wish to sell. Nothing can be proved beyond any doubt, but a news show showing you catch the ball while saying it was the first HR is significant evidence to most people.

[rdeversole]

Wouldn't the first HR in the first major league regular season game there be the "first home run" that would really be of note value and historical wise? Aren't the historical stats (ex: longest home run, first stolen base, first strikeout, etc.) based on in-season events as opposed to exhibition games? Cool piece nonetheless.

I imagine it would be really frustrating trying to legitimize a caught home run baseball. I always wonder if you catch it cleanly and keep it held up, if it would be worthwhile to see if an usher or somebody important witnessed it and immediately run up to them with the ball still in sight and tell them you want something to say it was a caught HR ball. Another idea would if you were to somehow know you were on TV or video with a tight angle when it was caught - immediately put an identifying mark on it with a pen or show one that was already on it. Both of those ideas would be great - BUT fairly impossible.