Foul Ball

As you might imagine, I'm more than just a little enthused about the MLB post-season exploits of the Fightin' Phils and not just because this would mean redemption after 25 years of waiting for a parade down Broad Street (sorry Philadelphia Soul you're great but you don't count). Their playoff run also happens to be a great segue to my next podcast: What Would Rob Do to catch a foul ball. I'm still working on the podcast (been slowed down by the High Holidays), but it got me thinking about the idea of sports souvenirs in general -- and I'm not talking about a foam hand or a bobblehead doll. A foul ball -- or better yet a homerun ball -- might be the most coveted of all sporting event souvenirs and it can also be the most valuable. But it ain't easy; clearly the odds are against you, which makes this guy particularly loathesome.

But what about other souvenirs? Do shards from a broken bat trump a foul ball? What about getting a hockey puck? In football, it's very rare for a fan to catch a pigskin. Those big nets behind the goal post make it near impossible, but should one fall in your lap you do in fact get to keep it. Surely that has to be the best souvenir.

What's sad though is that in most sports you don't get to keep the objects that fly into your lap. In 6th grade I had a brief stint as a ball boy for the Temple University Men's Soccer Team A good portion of my job was running into the stands and asking for the ball back, which people were surprisingly nice about returning. I guess that's the culture. Major League Soccer requires its fans to give the ball back as well. In basketball you don't get to keep a stray ball. And just ask Kevin Garnett how costly it can be to toss a ball into the stands. I couldn't pin down the official rule for tennis balls hit into the stands during a match, but the good news is that tennis players often hit them to the crowd afterward. You can also keep the sweaty wrist bands they fling out. Yuck.

Golf is probably the worst sport for souvenir-seeking fans. It's both illegal (according to golf rules) and dangerous to stand in the way of a dimpled projectile. I have seen players toss mementos from their bags after the 18th hole. Maybe tournament leaders pack extra swag in their bags for fans.

It seems as though each sport has its own etiquette for bringing home a tangible memory of the game. Apparently there some odd sumo souvniers out there, which leaves me wondering just how far fans will go to get a relic. Maybe I shouldn't have asked.

10:24 AM ET | 10-10-2008 | permalink

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