01-09-2005, 03:13 AM
|
#12 (permalink)
|
Insane
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by pan6467
IF he wer a FAN this would be true.But as a player I would believe it's a whole different set of rules. I'm sure 20 years ago, the guy who picked up the dribbler Rose hit for 4192 could have said "it's my ball, I'm keeping it for retirement." Same thing you describe. That player caught it, had control over it, it bacame a dead ball. BUT it was in the field of play and therefore still property of MLB.
What about Rick Manning when he caught the fly ball, allowing Len Barker to pitch a perfect game? HE didn't keep the ball.
What usually happens in these eventful situations is MLB gets the ball back, the player or team requests the ball from MLB and they are given the ball. But as far as I know as long as the ball is on the playing field it remains the property of baseball.
As far as Mientkiewicz, he's 30, be 31 in June. He's had a solid career and had he not done this probably could have had a few more strong years and decent contracts left.
I'm sorry this sets a nasty precedence for the game if they allow him to keep or if they pay for the ball. It says ANY player can keep any ball once the ball is declared dead. I remember players used to toss the 3rd out ball into the stands for fans, as they ran into the dugout. But MLB put an end to it saying that the ball was property of the game.
Baseball is a team sport, do you think the person getting the ball for Big Unit's perfect game thought, "I have my kids college paid for with this"? Hell no, they probably gave the ball to him, happily.
Even if the SOX get A BALL back from this guy now, how will they know it is the real thing? Hell, he could keep it and in retirement say, he gave the SOX the wrong ball and though he is sorry, the "real ball" is now on E-Bay.
Players get paid enough this is bullshit. Like I said it shows no loyalty (not that there is much anyway) and in his own words it says a player can be bought therefore, how do we know if he is up and bases are loaded with 1 out that the dribbler he hits to the mound for a DP was legit or a payoff move to throw a game? How do we know that simple error he made that cost the SOX a game was just an error and not some payoff to throw a game?
Again in his own words he says he has a price and can be bought.
These players are paid to PLAY THE GAME, they should not be keeping monumental balls. It WAS HIS JOB to catch out #3, he did his job.
|
pretty sure all the balls are marked by MLB so they know what ball it is, and as for whether he should keep it i really don't know, there were some other comments about this that he ws just joking around and he kept it so that it would be on display somewhere, and not sold..
|
|
|