If you caught Aaron Judge's 62nd homer, would you hand it over to him or keep it and sell it for 7 figures?

Flagpole wrote:

whawha wrote:

Thinking these balls mean anything to the players is ridiculous. Also the players would not get to keep the balls. It’d be going straight to Cooperstown. These guys couldn’t careless about a hr ball. Their parents might lol but not the players. How is it greedy to sell your property? Now If you’re a millionaire then by all means give it back ,but I’m not going to tell someone’s that makes 10 to 20 times less than the ball is worth, to give it back.
Truth is judge should offer something pretty nice to get it back. Brady gave up a bitcoin, back when they were worth a lot more, for one of his td balls.

Nope!

1) If I were to catch a 62 HR ball or another historic HR ball, and the player didn't ask for it, then I'd keep it. Judge will FOR SURE ask for #62. Means it means something to him.

2) Players keep important balls, bats, stolen bases (see Rickey Henderson) all the time. Of COURSE these mementos are important to them.

3) Cooperstown doesn't just get every important thing. The player keeps what they want.

4) I ALSO am not telling others what to do here. I said what I would do. It IS the right thing to do, but I'm not demanding that others do the right thing. I spell out the right thing, and then others can either do it or not.

5) Now, Judge SHOULD give a fan something for the ball, BUT the order of events should be...fan gives Judge the ball with NO promise of anything in return, and THEN Judge gives fan something.

6) I'm not so sure that ball will be worth THAT much anyway. Will be an American League record and a Yankees record, so certainly it will have SOME monetary value, but will it be worth MILLIONS of dollars? It only takes ONE person to make it worth that, but I'm skeptical that that person is out there.

Flagpole wrote:

No question, I'd give it to him. Now, today I am very wealthy, so I don't need a million dollars or whatever you (Rojo) think I might get from it, but let me check my integrity and see what I would have done when I was just starting out (thinking about this)...I would have given it to him. I actually didn't even have to think about it...did that for suspense!

Though the ball might have some dollar value, it doesn't mean anything to me but it would to him. Just because baseball players make an insane amount of money doesn't mean they owe me anything. Should Judge pay for everyone's meal when he walks into a restaurant?

Greed is never a good thing to participate in. Avoid greed 100% of the time, and you'lll be better off for it.

The right thing is to give him the ball.

Conundrum wrote:

Rojo, great idea for a thread because this is something that has annoyed me.

First I will assume based on an implied contract and precedent that the fan who caught the ball owns it. (A court could decide if that's true or not)

Second, if I was a multimillionaire team owner or player I would NEVER have the selfishness or lack of sensitivity to ask the common Joe fan to donate the ball to me. I just wouldn't do it. The fan is put in a situation surrounded by a famous athlete and team representatives and media that put very strong yet implied pressure on him that its the "right thing to do". No one of course suggests to the fan that he might want to think about it overnight. No, they sweep the fan away and lead him to make a decision in the moment. Its unfair.

Even if the fan is wealthy and has no need at all for the money, its still probably is a bad choice to give the ball back to these multimillionaires. The decision comes down to what charity is the most worthy for him to donate this very valuable ball. Should he donate it to these multimillionaires or should he donate this to a worthwhile charity such has people who have lost homes in war or floods, or people who can't feed their children.

Its an easy decision.

Flagpole wrote:

No question, I'd give it to him. Now, today I am very wealthy, so I don't need a million dollars or whatever you (Rojo) think I might get from it, but let me check my integrity and see what I would have done when I was just starting out (thinking about this)...I would have given it to him. I actually didn't even have to think about it...did that for suspense!

Though the ball might have some dollar value, it doesn't mean anything to me but it would to him. Just because baseball players make an insane amount of money doesn't mean they owe me anything. Should Judge pay for everyone's meal when he walks into a restaurant?

Greed is never a good thing to participate in. Avoid greed 100% of the time, and you'lll be better off for it.

The right thing is to give him the ball.