ballcatchers.com
A home run is perfect.
A home run is a gift.
A home run is history.
And sometimes history picks you.
A home run is a gift.
A home run is history.
And sometimes history picks you.
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70th, tying Mark McGwire's single-season record
Who Caught the Ball?
Charles Murphy
38, real estate agent Houston, Texas
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What's the Story?
On October 4, 2001, Barry Bonds hit his 70th home run of the season, tying Mark McGwire's single-season record. The historic home run came in the ninth inning of a game at Pacific Bell Park (now Oracle Park) in San Francisco. The ball was caught by Charles Murphy, who used his 9-year-old son's glove to make the catch.Murphy, who had been preparing for the possibility of catching a home run ball, described the moment as a rush of energy. "I had my son's glove and I was just rubbing it, trying to soften it up, getting excited, what am I going to do, put my foot on the step in case I had to go back or ready to go forward or whatever," he said. When Bonds connected, Murphy tracked the ball and made the catch, jumping a row or two and feeling the ball hit his hand. Murphy became an instant celebrity, especially after telling television reporters that he felt a "miraculous rush of estrogen" while snagging the ball, a remark that drew laughter and was replayed on national TV. Bonds himself joked with Murphy, saying, "Don't spend it all in one place," after congratulating him personally. Despite receiving a $100,000 offer from Houston furniture mogul Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, Murphy chose not to sell the ball immediately. Instead, he took it to his son's fifth-grade class, where his son was thrilled. Concerned about the ball being stolen from his home, Murphy later placed it in a $40-a-year safe deposit box. In 2002, Murphy decided to bring the ball to auction, where it sold for $52,500. The ball was auctioned again in 2007, this time fetching $14,400. |
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symbolic home run with MLB's return after 9/11, gave the Mets a 3-2 lead which they would hold onto for the win
Who Caught the Ball?
?
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What's the Story?
On September 21, 2001, Mike Piazza hit a symbolic home run that gave the New York Mets a 3-2 lead, which they held onto for the win. This game was significant as it marked MLB's return after the 9/11 attacks. Piazza's homer was a powerful moment for many, symbolizing hope and resilience.The ball ricocheted off the camera scaffolding in centerfield, and its subsequent whereabouts are unknown. |
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500th career home run
Who Caught the Ball?
Joe Figone
39, city park supervisor San Francisco, California
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What's the Story?
Joe Figone, one of the boaters in McCovey's Cove, saw Bonds' 500th home run ball arcing over the right field wall through the clear night sky in his direction. He grabbed his fishing net with his right hand and the tiller with his left hand. Then he realized that to have a chance at getting the ball he would have to snatch it from the left side of the boat -- with the net in his left hand. "I'm not used to doing it that way," he said. "I'm right-handed with the net. But you do what you have to do."Figone switched hands, gunned the engine, and narrowly avoided a man in a wet suit, who was also in search of destiny. "There were a dozen people coming at me," Figone said. "Multiple people in multiple boats. A lot of propellers in the water. It was a dangerous situation, but everyone knew the risks. We were all out there for the same thing." After a 10-second scramble, he scooped the ball from the bay. "There was a lot of competition out there," said Figone. "But it is whoever moves the quickest." Trophy firmly in hand, Figone cracked open a bottle of champagne, passed it around and took a victory lap around the cove. His tiny boat and its precious cargo were met on shore by three cops, a handful of security guards, and two representatives of Major League Baseball who, Figone said, immediately began certifying things. The baseball people began gluing counterfeit-proof holographic stickers on just about everything Figone brought ashore -- not only the ball, but the boat, motor, jersey, life jacket, fishing net and the empty champagne bottle that Figone had opened to celebrate his lucky catch. Also certified with a sticker was the religious medallion that Figone was wearing around his neck for good luck. That part was kind of embarrassing, Figone said. When Figone met Bonds after the game, he showed him the ball but did not give it to him. "Barry's jaw dropped when I took it back from him," Figone said. "He was ready to walk away with it. I just caught the ball and now it's time for me to turn it over?" I should let them walk all over me and give them the ball? I wasn't prepared to do that." "The moment was awkward, but there was never any pressure placed on Mr. Figone at all to give the ball up," a Giants official told the press. "It was never our thought to disrespect him." Figone tucked the ball away in a safe deposit box and immediately began negotiations with Bonds for the ball. "Barry could come over to the house for dinner," Figone said. "Barry could call me. That would be nice. If the 500 ball is really important to him, then you think he would have called by now. But he hasn't. So I guess it can't be that important." "I guess you could say I feel a certain amount of betrayal. Why does one fan get $3.1 million for Mark McGwire's 70th homer and another fan is offered two free tickets for another home run ball? Is that fair? MLB needs to address this issue." Failing to come to an agreement, Figone planned to keep the ball in his private collection for now, lending it to the Newseum in Washington, DC for a recent display. "I'm going to keep this as a bit of history," Figone said. "When I'm 60 years old, I'll be able to come back and say I've got the first ball and I've got the 500th home run ball that Barry Bonds hit." "If I ultimately sell it for two dollars, that's two dollars more than I had before I caught the ball," Figone said. The ball sold for $303,277 via SCP Auctions in November 2021. |
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63rd, Sosa's final of the 1999 season
Who Caught the Ball?
Douglas Potter
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What's the Story?
Sammy Sosa's 63rd home run of the 1999 season was a towering fly ball that landed in the second level of the left field bleachers at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on October 3rd, the final day of the season. A Cubs fan named Douglas Potter, who had driven four hours to watch the final meeting of the season's premier sluggers, made the catch.Potter, recalling the moment with excitement, said, "I had a dream. I thought I might get lucky today. It was a very high fly ball. Just reached up there, and it was right to me. Caught it on the fly." The ball was auctioned by Leland's in August 2006 for $2,454.18 and again by Heritage Auctions on May 4, 2012, for $5,975. It is currently owned by baseball collector Seth Swirsky. https://sports.ha.com/itm/baseball-collectibles/balls/1999-sammy-sosa-63rd-home-run-baseball-with-fan-s-glove-that-caught-it/a/7051-80998.s |
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Who Caught the Ball?
Mike Hogan
32, assistant sports information director Tampa, Florida
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What's the Story?
Wade Boggs' 3000th career hit on August 7, 1999, was a historic moment, celebrated with a home run that landed in the right field grandstands at Tropicana Field. Mike Hogan, seated in Section 144, Row V, Seat 7, was the lucky fan who caught the milestone ball.Hogan vividly recalled the moment: "I saw it leave the bat and head straight for me. I didn't move an inch. As I watched it approach, I braced myself because I knew there would be a bunch of people lunging for the ball." With a steady hand, he caught the ball and protected it amidst the frenzy using his burly 6'2" frame. Immediately after the catch, Hogan was escorted to the Rays' clubhouse, where he insisted on presenting the ball to Boggs, despite offers to negotiate. "People will say I'm crazy, but he's had a Hall of Fame career and it's his baseball," said Hogan. In return for his generosity, the Rays gave Hogan an autographed Wade Boggs jersey and bat, and season tickets for the following year. Additionally, he was invited to Boggs' Christmas party and a special tribute suite at Tropicana Field later that season, where he had the chance to meet Ted Williams. This selfless act and the ball itself symbolize the respect and admiration for Boggs' remarkable career, making Hogan's gesture a memorable part of baseball history. |
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500th career home run
Who Caught the Ball?
Jim Shearer
28, architect St. Louis, Missouri |
What's the Story?
On August 5, 1999, Mark McGwire hit his 500th career home run, a significant milestone in his storied career. The ball cleared the wall and deflected off the base of an advertisement before landing in an area of shrubbery beyond the wall, where fans scrambled to retrieve it. Jim Shearer ended up with the prized souvenir and was quickly escorted away by authorities."We kind of joked about it before," said his wife, Jennifer. "He said if it comes this way, get out of here, and so I did." "You sit there and look at it and it's just a baseball," said Shearer. "But then you remember sitting in the stands and watching it sail toward your seat and it gets kind of exciting." Jennifer recalled, "I said he should give it back. He said he's going to sell out." Shearer added, "We talked to a lot of people. We talked a lot to my wife's family and my family. The more we talked about it, we started to feel better about selling it." McGwire had expressed that he wanted his 500th home run ball to go to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Shearer was given $100,000 as an advance by sports agent Michael Barnes, who then sold the ball to a sports memorabilia collector for an undisclosed amount. In August 2010, the ball was sold by Collect.com Auctions for $29,250. As for the money, Shearer mentioned that paying off his student loan debt was a consideration, though there were no definite plans for what he and his wife Jennifer would do with the rest of it. |
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70th, setting single-season record (since broken)
Who Caught the Ball?
Phil Ozersky
26, research scientist Olivette, Missouri
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What's the Story?
Phil Ozersky was in a party room at Busch Stadium with about 100 fellow Washington University research lab scientists. A baseball fan, he has attended more than 200 ball games. The seats had been reserved months earlier. He sipped a beer as McGwire swung at the first pitch in his final at-bat of the season. Pow! The line drive crashed into the box, ricocheting off a wall and off the hands of two co-workers. Ozersky dived under temporary bleachers to retrieve it."It was a line drive, a laser beam," Ozersky said. "I landed on it, people landed on me, but they weren't biting me or punching me," he said yesterday in a telephone interview. "I knew them. They were my friends and they poured beer on me." He had a black eye but wouldn't confirm how he got it. ''It's hard to sort out what the feeling was,'' he said. ''There was that feeling of awe.'' "Right now I'm excited to see McGwire and shake his hand, and that's about as far as I'm looking ahead." Security workers for the Cardinals hustled him and Kerry Woodson, the man who caught McGwire's 69th earlier in the same game, to a room under the seats. They authenticated the ball by checking its number (73 because it was the 73rd ball used in the game) and by verifying a mark under ultraviolet light, two procedures devised for last season's home run chase. Police stood by as a team official tried to broker a deal. The Cardinals offered a signed jersey, ball, and bat for Ozersky’s baseball. "There was pressure to decide what to do," Ozersky said. "It was like, 'McGwire has a flight, and he needs to know now.' It was either give it up, or McGwire was gone." Ozersky said he also wanted to meet McGwire. McGwire said no. Ozersky hesitated, saying he would have had a hard time not returning the ball with a personal meeting. Ozersky put the ball in his pocket and went home. He slept beside the ball and took it to work to show his friends. Then things got serious. The ball went into a safety deposit box. Ozersky thought he might face an enormous tax bill if he gave the ball away. He scrambled to find insurance. His phone rang off the hook, even though he had just moved and changed his number. Some callers offered money, $1 million from three partners in one case. He turned to his cousin David Krathen, a malpractice lawyer in Fort Lauderdale. Krathen assigned the case to another cousin, Michael Freedland, who, like Ozersky, is 26. Being the same age, they had always hung out together at family reunions, though they lived more than 1,000 miles apart. Ozersky scheduled a mid-October visit to Florida so he could also take in a St. Louis Rams football game in Miami. Gift taxes seemed to dictate that the ball must be sold. But how and where? He hoped it could be displayed at the Baseball Hall of Fame or somewhere comparable and that at least some of the proceeds could go to charity. Offbeat schemes were pouring in, like one to sell the ball's threads separately for big bucks. Then the leather could be re-stuffed and sold. His lawyers scoffed. But to auction or not to auction? "If you take a private offer, you know what you're getting and walk away," Freedland said. Enter Michael Barnes, a St. Louis agent who represents artists and athletes. He had put together the other baseballs that will be sold at the Madison Square Garden auction, and was eager to add the big one to his stable. Ozersky allowed him merchandising rights. He's selling 70 prints of the big ball for $2,500 each and 7,000 posters for $70 each. Barnes helped Ozersky contact Professional Sports Authenticators, a California firm, which marked the ball with a DNA smear. Then it destroyed that batch of DNA, so all that remains is the imprint on the ball and the written formula. This, more than the ball's other markings, guarantees its authenticity. Barnes emphasized the captive, price-driving energy that an auction can release. "If they don't leave that night with a ball, they'll never have a chance again -- unless it hits the resale market," Barnes said. Ozersky went back and forth. His representative haggled with Ettinger in a manner that the tough-minded auctioneer called "brutal." Even as late as 11 the night before the Dec. 7 news conference with Sammy Sosa and other dignitaries, Ozersky would not confirm he would appear. Then he showed up, carrying the ball in a backpack. He is absolutely aware an auction is precarious. He could end up receiving less, considerably less, than the $1 million he has already been offered. There is no minimum price, or at least not one the auction house is willing to reveal. "I didn't go to the game to make any money," Ozersky said. "Whatever it brings, it brings." Ultimately, he came to think of the auction as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. "One of my goals is to have fun," he said. "This is a chance to share the fun with my family." Comic book artist Todd McFarlane paid $3,005,000 for Ozersky’s ball at a Guernsey's auction in January 1999, making it the highest sale price ever for a piece of sports memorabilia at the time. Ozersky got $2.7 million after the auction commission. He bought three houses, went to the Super Bowl, and gave $250,000 to charities. In an interview, McFarlane said, "The day I bought the McGwire ball, when I hung up the phone, there was only one other person in the room, a buddy of mine. I turned to him and the only two things I said was 'that was stupid' and from now on everybody is going to be jumping for balls because of this stupid price I paid. I was aware of it. People all scrum for it now." On June 16, 2020, two prominent auctioneers valued the ball between $250,000 and $400,000. Ken Goldin of Goldin Auctions was on the low end of that spectrum, estimating McGwire's then-record-setting ball to be worth $250,000 to $300,000. David Kohler of SCP Auctions gave it the same minimum value but believed it could be worth up to $400,000. |
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69th
Who Caught the Ball?
Kerry Woodson
22, body-shop worker Maryland Heights, Missouri |
What's the Story?
On September 27, 1998, Mark McGwire hit his 69th home run of the season, just before hitting his record-breaking 70th later in the same game. Kerry Woodson, a fan attending the game with his parents, caught the 69th home run ball. "I reached up, closed my eyes, and it landed in my glove," Woodson said. "It's a dream come true. I hope he doesn't hit any more today."After catching the ball, Woodson and his parents, along with Phil Ozersky, who caught McGwire's 70th home run ball, were escorted into a side room by police. The police officer instructed Woodson's parents to leave, stating, "He had a gun, and I had a camera," Woodson's mother, Bobbie, said half-jokingly, referring to the officer. Inside the room, police stood by as a team official attempted to negotiate a deal: a signed jersey and bat in exchange for the baseballs, plus a chance to meet McGwire. Both Woodson and Ozersky wanted to take time to think about their decision and show the baseballs to their friends, expressing that they were not immediately interested in selling their prized possessions. Ultimately, Woodson sold the ball to an anonymous buyer for an undisclosed sum, facilitated by Michael D. Barnes, managing director of Creative Properties Management Group in St. Louis. Comic book artist Todd McFarlane later acquired the ball at an auction for "six figures." |
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67th
Who Caught the Ball?
Doug Singer
30 Grapevine, Texas
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What's the Story?
On September 26, 1998, Mark McGwire hit his 67th home run of the season. Doug Singer, who had flown from Texas to St. Louis with a friend, caught the historic ball. Singer's buddy had bought tickets for the weekend series three months prior, placing them in Section 282, Row 5, Seat 7."When he hit it, it was just a perfect line drive, and I knew it was coming right in my direction," Singer recalled. The ball landed in his glove at 4:12 p.m. Initially uncertain about what to do with the ball, Singer felt overwhelmed. "I had no idea what I was going to do," he admitted. "I was completely baffled. When he hit number 68, that made my decision. Once the 68th was hit, the weight of the world was off my shoulders." Singer negotiated with the Cardinals for autographed McGwire items and considered donating the ball to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ultimately, comic book artist Todd McFarlane acquired the ball at an auction for $50,000. |
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68th
Who Caught the Ball?
Heath Wiseman
25, veterinary student Ames, Iowa
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What's the Story?
On September 26, 1998, Mark McGwire hit his 68th home run of the season. Heath Wiseman, who was in St. Louis for a bachelor party with friends, caught the historic ball.Wiseman and his group had plans to capitalize on the valuable souvenir. "I've accumulated $100,000 worth of debt in financial aid. That's reality for me," Wiseman said. "I have to think about it." Ultimately, Wiseman decided to sell the ball to help pay off his veterinary school bills. Comic book artist Todd McFarlane acquired the ball at an auction for $50,000. |