Jerk holds player's first HR ball for ransom

[UMFan83]

I couldn't believe when I read this article how big of a jerk this guy is. He catches Chris Coghlan's first HR ball and demands many things, including a signed Hanley Ramirez bat, a photo with Coghlan, tickets to a Marlins/Yankees game this year and many other things. Coghlan finally had to basically beg that the guy gave up the ball.

 

http://miamiherald.typepad.com/fish_bytes/2009/05/fan-drives-hard-bargain-for-coghlans-first-home-run-ball.html

 

Makes me wonder if the fan that caught Scales' HR ball the other day gave it back without incident. If I caught a milestone HR, I would ask if it was feasible to give the ball to the player himself, but even if I couldn't, I wouldn't think twice about giving it up as I assume most wouldn't. I would have to think twice if it was a record breaking ball like Bond's 756 but the chances of that happening are slim to none.

Edited May 17, 2009 by UMFan83

[Clem Fandango]

EDIT: Scratch that. Classy Brewers fans. Thought it was a home game at first

 

EDIT AGAIN: I really need to read the whole article first. So he posed as a Marlins fan... in Milwaukee... hmmmmm. You know who it sounds like? That guy who collects home runs and foul balls and begs for balls form the bullpen who brings caps and jerseys of each team to every game he goes to. That dude who is a total douche bag

[XZero771679666304]

EDIT: Scratch that. Classy Brewers fans. Thought it was a home game at first

 

EDIT AGAIN: I really need to read the whole article first. So he posed as a Marlins fan... in Milwaukee... hmmmmm.

 

Well if he is a Marlins fan, there is one more in Milwaukee than there is in Miami.

[TruffleShuffle]

EDIT: Scratch that. Classy Brewers fans. Thought it was a home game at first

 

EDIT AGAIN: I really need to read the whole article first. So he posed as a Marlins fan... in Milwaukee... hmmmmm.

 

that should've been the tip off that this guy is a sham. who's ever heard of a marlins fan?

[Clem Fandango]

I'm trying to find a link to that dude who collects all those balls, I think there was a piece on him that Costas Now or Real Sports did on him. Donm't know what to search for when looking for it. He was a complete douche though. He would shove kids out of the way during batting practice home runs and every other time just to get a frigging baseball. He has like over 10,000 or some crap and he goes around the country to random games and has jerseys and hats for every team in baseball so if he goes to a game he can pose as that team's fan and beg for balls from bullpen guys and then go to the other bullpen and swap out merch and to the same for the other team. He would also get extremely pissed when he didn't catch a ball or a ball would be given to a kid instead of him. This sounds just like something he would ask for. An obsessive baseball collector who didn't want to give it up so he asked for the world

[UMFan83]

Actually, I think it is him. I did some more reading on this story and found the guy's blog as well as HIS side of the story. After reading both accounts, I still side with the ballplayer, even if he was as snotty as the guy made him seem. Kid has worked his whole life to make it to the major leagues and he hits his first HR. In my mind, that ball is the possession of the player, even if its not officially. Why some guy would be so selfish to hold that ball for ransom when it means nothing to him and everything to the player that hit it, I don't know.

 

http://thehappyyoungster.mlblogs.com/

[CubbieBum]

If it was something like a first career homerun I would do as someone already said and just ask to give it to him in person. If it was a ball a player who makes millions upon millions I would probably just ask for 1000. That would be nothing to the player but would make a world of difference to me.

[E.J.]

Give the guy the ball. It's a $12 baseball. It means a heck of a lot more to the player than any fan.

[TruffleShuffle]

i wonder if bobby scales got his first major league HR ball.

[Cubbies2238]

i wonder if bobby scales got his first major league HR ball.

 

I wonder all the time what kinds of demands players get for stuff like this. I haven't seen anything about Scales' HR ball, but would like to know.

 

Also, I don't see what the big deal is asking for Marlins tickets. Are they worried that a fan who wants to pay wont be able to find a seat?

[Cynosure]

If I paid to go to a ball game and a player hit his first home run ever, I'd happily give it back if he paid for my admission and got me autographs.

[Rob]

I'd just want to give it back in person.

[Clem Fandango]

Actually, I think it is him. I did some more reading on this story and found the guy's blog as well as HIS side of the story. After reading both accounts, I still side with the ballplayer, even if he was as snotty as the guy made him seem. Kid has worked his whole life to make it to the major leagues and he hits his first HR. In my mind, that ball is the possession of the player, even if its not officially. Why some guy would be so selfish to hold that ball for ransom when it means nothing to him and everything to the player that hit it, I don't know.

 

http://thehappyyoungster.mlblogs.com/

 

That's actually not the guy, the guy I was referring to was a different guy, but they both have the same hobby and tactics. The one I was referring to would actually elbow kids out of the way for a batting practice home run.

 

Either way, this guy thinks asking for two bats isn't a big deal, and you know what it probably isn't, but he never took the time to step into his shoes and think about the importance of that situation for Coughlan. Besides, that was like his 700th ball or whatever that he's caught, what's the big deal with having to give it back? He gave some infant who doesn't even understand the concept of a baseball one of the ones he had, but he won't give a ball that has extreme important significance to someone back to him without wanting something in return? He pretty much said what he asked for wasn't ransom. Guess what, if you have something that is of little importance to you and someone else wants and/or deserves it, and you won't give it to them and instead ask for something elsei nreturn that is of more value to you... that's ransom... douche.

 

Oh, and also it appears that he actually was a classy Brewers fan posing as a Marlins fan. Quality.

[CyHawk_Cub]

i wonder if bobby scales got his first major league HR ball.

 

I heard Len say in the pre-game the following day that the ball was "retrieved" & given to Scales; no details about whether there was any kind of trade, or if the fan gave it to him in person. By "retrieved" I took it to mean someone from Wrigley/Cubs staff got it from the fan...

[OleMissCub]

Coghlan was a 1st round pick out of Ole Miss :thumbsup:

[laurens]

If you catch a guys first HR and give it back to him, I don't think he'd have a problem with having a chat and having a pic taken. Why want more? On his site, the guy acts like it's no big deal to ask for 2 bats in exchange for the ball. It's the guys first HR, can't you just give him the ball and let him have something to remember the day by without turning it into negotiations...

[TruffleShuffle]

i wonder if bobby scales got his first major league HR ball.

 

I heard Len say in the pre-game the following day that the ball was "retrieved" & given to Scales; no details about whether there was any kind of trade, or if the fan gave it to him in person. By "retrieved" I took it to mean someone from Wrigley/Cubs staff got it from the fan...

 

thanks, i'm glad to hear he got the ball.

[brewersbrewers]

he is known as the happy youngster. he is not a marlin fans . sadly he is a brewer fan. this guy is a tool he been doing this for many years he goes all the way back to county stadium and has been intreviewd by all the milwaukee tv stations about 10 years ago and he has a blog. this guy is a tool.

[Guest]

he is known as the happy youngster. he is not a marlin fans . sadly he is a brewer fan. this guy is a tool he been doing this for many years he goes all the way back to county stadium and has been intreviewd by all the milwaukee tv stations about 10 years ago and he has a blog. this guy is a tool.

 

A good trade off would be to stop giving the guy any publicity, whatsoever. None. Zilch. It's exactly what he wants. Why give it to him?

 

And how hard would it be to take a batting practice ball and stick it in Coghlan's trophy case instead of the actual ball if he won't give it up. 20 years from now, if Coghlan has made a significant name for himself, who will anyone believe, the Brewers fan that constantly makes ridiculous claims or the player himself? And who would know anyway? I'll bet there are hundreds, if not thousands of "first home run balls" that were hit by major leaguers that were never returned, yet each mysteriously has that ball in their trophy case.

[CoolHandLuke]

If I caught a player's first home run (assuming I knew it was his first) I would most likely throw it back immediately.

[SweetZombieJesus]

i wonder if bobby scales got his first major league HR ball.

 

I heard Len say in the pre-game the following day that the ball was "retrieved" & given to Scales; no details about whether there was any kind of trade, or if the fan gave it to him in person. By "retrieved" I took it to mean someone from Wrigley/Cubs staff got it from the fan...

 

Well, I know this for a fact being as I was probably at most 10 people away from the guy who ended up getting* Theriot's 1st major league HR . They offered him a choice of 3 things, a signed ball by the entire team. A signed greg maddux jersey or a signed glove by Lee.

 

*as one of my friends dropped it despite having a mitt.

[CubbieBum]

i wonder if bobby scales got his first major league HR ball.

 

I heard Len say in the pre-game the following day that the ball was "retrieved" & given to Scales; no details about whether there was any kind of trade, or if the fan gave it to him in person. By "retrieved" I took it to mean someone from Wrigley/Cubs staff got it from the fan...

 

Well, I know this for a fact being as I was probably at most 10 people away from the guy who ended up getting* Theriot's 1st major league HR . They offered him a choice of 3 things, a signed ball by the entire team. A signed greg maddux jersey or a signed glove by Lee.

 

*as one of my friends dropped it despite having a mitt.

 

That's better than Andy. He lets a division clinching home run ball hit in Cinci land right next to him and not even notice. It was caught on TV too and I bring it up about once every other month to him. I'm a good ex-roommate.

[Ball And Glove]

You'll have a hard time finding anyone who Brewers fans despise more right now than this guy. It's the same guy who caught Geoff Jenkins' 200th career home run and demanded signed bats from Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and J.J. Hardy in return a few years ago (notice he didn't even bother asking for something from Jenks himself).

 

Asking for a signed bat from Coghlan is fine, even maybe asking for a bat and photo with the guy. But asking for a game-used bat of a completely different player that the kid probably barely even knows (Coghlan's been in the majors for a week -- you think he's on good enough terms with the team's star player to go and ask for a bat?) crosses the line.

 

The truth likely lies somewhere between the two stories, but you'll have a hard time finding an outcome that doesn't make this guy look like a huge jerk. There was actually a heated 275-post thread on Brewerfan.net about the incident, and coincidentally, the "Happy Youngster" is actually a member of the site. Not-so-coincidentally, he didn't dare step into that thread.

[Terp]

How does he average getting 7 balls a game? I'd be pumped if I even got one in my lifetime.

[Laura]

Asking for a signed bat from Coghlan is fine, even maybe asking for a bat and photo with the guy. But asking for a game-used bat of a completely different player that the kid probably barely even knows (Coghlan's been in the majors for a week -- you think he's on good enough terms with the team's star player to go and ask for a bat?) crosses the line.

 

They talked about this on one of the XM home plate channel quotes and replayed some earlier comments that Coghlan made on an earlier show. Coghlan said what you mention -- that he was happy to provide personally autographed bats/balls/etc, but didn't feel comfortable asking Hanley Ramirez to fork over an autographed game bat.