Have you ever caught a foul ball?

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

I never have. I have always wanted to, but have failed badly. Do you have a good story, like you celebrated with both hands in the air while your section cheered you or caught the ball in your Coke/beer?

[Surfah]

I never have. I have always wanted to, but have failed badly. Do you have a good story, like you celebrated with both hands in the air while your section cheered you or caught the ball in your Coke/beer?

My buddy caught a HR ball at a Bees game. That's the closest I have ever been. Usually I have no chance at any foul/HR based on the seats I can afford.

[TripletDaddy]

Never.

I did come "close" once, but not really. It was the summer of Mac and Sammy. The Cards were in town to play the Dodgers. My wife and I were at the game, sitting field level along the 3rd base line. Mac gets up to bat and pounds one foul. The thing is screaming right at us. The problem is that the ball has more of a line-drive trajectory, not a fly-ball trajectory. It is literally humming along, making that whizzing noise that baseballs make when they jet right past you (does anyone know what I am talking about here?). Nobody in the crowd has much time to react, unlike the joyous crowd gatherings you see when a ball is hit high into the air, only to be summoned back to Earth by gravity. This one was more like an missile.

In a split second, the ball starts to lose altitude, but it is still basically headed right for us. My wife was sitting to my right, meaning she was one seat closer to home plate (and the aisle) than I (I am a gentleman like that. Guys, take note please). I distinctly remember thinking that I should try to cover my wife's head somehow. As a side note, it was a great opportunity to "stop short" in public as I lunged to protect my eternal companion. So after stopping short and enjoying that moment, I outstretch my hand and cover her face. The ball is on its way, headed for impact.

The next thing I know, we hear an amazingly loud thud. It was the sound of dented, twisted metal, coupled with the fearful gasps of a relieved crowd. The ball had sailed over the heads of the section to our right, but thankfully dove down and hit the side of the chair that was closest to the aisle in our section. The chair was one row in front of us and about 3 seats over. So when I say that the ball was headed our way, it literally landed about 6 feet away.

The ball dented the chair so much that it didn't even really carom off and do the India rubber ball thing that you usually see at a ball game. The noise was so loud that Dodger security came down to make sure nobody was hurt. The person on the end of our aisle wound up nabbing the ball, but I don't even recall a scrum or a scuffle. I think people were freaked out and didn't care to react in any manner beyond self-preservation.

Of that home series with the Cards, I think ours was the only night Mac did not homer. But he did almost kill us, which is pretty cool.

[Coach McGuirk]

I hope Home Runs count. We had a magical night one night in Anaheim back in the day. The Angels were playing the Yankees and we were a group of 5 sitting out in right center field. 2 guys in our group "caught" 3 home runs. I caught a Tim Salmon ball on the rebound from a group in front of us. I don't remember who hit the other home runs but Chris jumped into the center part, which at the time did not have fake rocks and trees but just devoid of chairs. Fat Chris made the first move and with the hesitation of other fit people, he was able to get their first. The next one Chris caught on the fly came right too him. It was pretty great.

[cougjunkie]

Yes, I caught a Kirby Puckett Homerun ball when the Twins played the A's I was about 12, also caught a Mark Mcgwire homerun ball in batting practice.

[CardiacCoug]

I took my older son to several Rochester (MN) Honkers games and we didn't exactly catch any foul balls, but he walked over and picked a couple of them up when they landed in an ocean of empty seats.

At an Astros game a couple of years ago, we had two straight foul balls land a couple of rows behind us. That's as close as I've come in a MLB game.

Also, my wife had a BP homerun ball hit her in the foot when we were walking on Waveland before a Cubs game. Then somebody else grabbed it.

[LiveCoug]

I got a home run ball at MWC champ game at Miller Field. But hey, that wasn't too hard. I was one of only a few people standing out behind the fence and it landed at my feet.

[BoylenOver]

I had a David Ortiz home-run ball go over my head during a Buzz playoff game when I was 13. The guy directly behind me caught and kept it.

[il Padrino Ute]

At a Buzz game a few years back.

My wife and I were sitting in the upper deck in the middle of the section. We were right at 3rd base. A left-handed batter hit a screamer right at the section and everyone in the section bailed so all I had to do was take a step to my right and catch the ball.

It stung like hell, but those around us were impressed that I not only caught it, but wasn't afraid of it.

Of all the things in this world that can hurt me really bad, a baseball is not one of them.

[Colly Wolly]

I was at a Frederick Keyes minor league game in Maryland in 1995 I think it was. I was 15, and I was horsing around with some friends on the embankment down the 3rd baseline in the grassy area where the bleachers ended. I heard a crack, looked up and saw the ball flying straight at me. It bounced in the dirt once and hit me square in the chest (I didn't have a glove on). I leaped on top of it and claimed my prize. I had a bruise on my chest for a couple days after that.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

Of all the things in this world that can hurt me really bad, a baseball is not one of them.

You sure about that?
[YOUTUBE]Gg4li-cPun4[/YOUTUBE]

[il Padrino Ute]

I remember that game. Kruk was a lot of fun, especially during the All-Star game.

[LiveCoug]

I thought you were going to show this vid:

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[HBCoug]

I've caught two balls, both back when the Angels played at "the Big A." One was a foul ball off the bat of Jim Gantner of the Milwaukee Brewers before they were an NL team (I'm sure that one is worth big money), and a home run from Wade Boggs in the right field stands during Little League night.