It's this simple: Finders keepers
Posted: Tuesday September 22, 1998 08:05 PM
John Grass said he wasn't trying to be greedy -- he was just looking
out for his family. It wasn't a matter of money, you see. He was just
looking for a little respect. Well, I'm not sure about anyone else,
but I've got plenty of respect for Mr. Grass, the 46-year-old fan who
caught Mark
McGwire's 63rd home run. Unlike all those other saps -- ah, I mean,
sports fans -- who were fortunate enough to get their mitts on one of Mac's
historic home run balls, Grass didn't hand it over for a couple of
autographed caps. No, he held out for more, baby. Kind of like, oh, I don't
know, a baseball player. Grass made up a list of demands, which
included a trip to spring training and a chance to throw out the first
pitch some night. When the Cardinals declined to meet his price, Grass
walked out of Busch Stadium and put his prized ball up for bids. And for
this, he was treated like a purse snatcher. I don't get it. When
the guy who caught No. 62 returned the ball, he said to McGwire, "I think I
have something that belongs to you." A nice gesture, I grant you, but
what's he talking about? Since the beginning of time, a home run ball, like
a foul ball, belongs to the fan who catches it. But now that the
ball is worth more than Monica's memoirs, the rules have changed. The fans
are expected to sacrifice their own financial good fortune for the good of
the game, something few principals in the baseball business have ever done.
Well, I'm sorry, if I catch the record breaker, I do like Mr.
Grass. I get what I can for it. I put my kids through college with it. I
buy my Mom a house with it. Not that I care about money. But you
know how it is. I've got to do what's best ... for my family.
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