'The ball is worth something'
Fan who caught No. 63 in no hurry to give it up
Posted: Tuesday September 15, 1998 11:04 PM
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No surprise this time: McGwire had no reason for shock after hitting his 63rd homer, like he did after being given back No. 62 (above), as the latest home run ball doesn't appear to be headed his way AP |
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The fan who caught Mark McGwire's
63rd home run is looking to cash in.
"The ball is worth something to someone, and I'd like to have something
for it myself," said John Grass, a 46-year-old from St. Louis.
Grass is the first fan who has not surrendered the ball since McGwire's
55th home run. He spoke to reporters moments after catching McGwire's
385-foot pinch homer in the ninth inning of the first game of Tuesday's
doubleheader against Pittsburgh.
Grass, a groundskeeper for a St. Louis County school district, said he
and a friend had purchased four left-field bleacher seats for the 14
Cardinals home games in September at a cost of $178 each.
"I was sitting in the eighth row and the ball came right to me," Grass
said. "I saw it all the way."
Grass said several fans pushed and shoved him in an effort to get the
ball, but he was quickly surrounded by police, who gave him an escort.
Grass said he wants McGwire to get the ball, but that he was not in a big
rush to give it to him.
"Right now, it's going in my safe deposit box," he said.
Grass said he hopes to meet McGwire and determine if the ball has any
value.
"He makes millions of dollars," Grass said. "I don't think there is
anything wrong with something coming to me."
McGwire has said that he will not pay for any baseballs returned by fans
but will trade items such as bats, jerseys and tickets for them. Cardinals
general manager Walt Jocketty said he did not expect the team to do any
negotiating with Grass.
"I don't know how you would figure out what it's worth," Jocketty said.
"It might not be worth much, depending on how many home runs he hits."
Grass said he wasn't concerned about the value of the ball.
"Whatever happens, I got what I wanted," he said. "I hope Mark gets the
ball, but I'll be happy to keep it or sell it. I want to think about it."
After the game, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa walked by Grass and had a
two-word comment: "Nice catch."
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