Quote:
Originally Posted by yanks12025
Wouldn't they keep the final out ball. Why give it to lew.
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Ask Doug Mientkiewicz
But seriously who knows...that what I will attempt to find out. Today obviously it's a big deal, but then was it? That's the mission, I know back then they had to give foul balls back. But as far as player ettiquette went when the game ended do you know? We assume it would be kept by the team who won but that's just by going by what we see today, back then was a different time.
I found this tidbit as well:
"Before 1920, the baseballs were considered property of the team and fans were expected to throw them back if they were hit into the stands. Sweeping changes were made to the game in 1920 to make the game more fan friendly and to add offense to the game. One of those changes was allowing balls hit into the stands to be kept by the fans.
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Actually the policy changed with the Giants in 1921, and was gradually adopted by other teams over the next few years. Before then, fans had to throw any foul ball back to the field (a practice that was still common in Japan until the late 1990's).
On May 16, 1921, Reuben Berman refused to throw a ball back at a New York Giants game at the Polo Grounds. He was escorted out of the stadium, and later sued the Giants for mental and physical distress and won the court case plus $100. The Giants changed their policy. (Source: The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, 3rd Edition, 2009, p. 703 "Reuben's Rule.")
In Pittsburgh a few months later, 3 fans were arrested for keeping foul balls. The city basically instructed their policemen to stop arresting people for this, and the Pirates changed their policy.
Prior to this, the Cubs allowed fans to keep foul balls as early as 1916. (Once the Phillies played in Chicago and requested compensation for 8 lost balls during batting practice.) An 11-year old boy in 1922 was arrested for this crime in 1922, spent a night in jail, and was exonerated by the judge who dismissed the charges. The judge commented "Such an act on the part of a boy is merely proof that he is following his most natural impulses. It is a thing I would do myself."
SO IF IN FACT THEN THE BALL WAS CONSIDERED PROPERTY OF THE TEAM, AND THE BALL FROM THIS GAME 6 WAS BEING PLAYED IN NEY YORK AND A NATIONAL LEAGUE BALL, DOES THE A.L. PLAYER(GANDIL) GIVE IT TO THE N.L. TEAM, AND THE PLAYER HE WOULD HAVE BEEN CLOSEST TO IS A SLOW FOOTED RIGHT HANDED BATTING CATCHER WHO GROUNDS OUT 2ND TO 1ST TO END THE GAME, LEW MCCARTY. IT IS POSSIBLE. WE'LL SEE WHAT I FIND. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, BUT YA NEVER KNOW.
12-24-2011, 01:19 PM
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