Fan dives out of stadium for HR ball

[Broncobiv2]

Fan dives out of stadium for HR ball

I just saw SportsCenter's Top 10, and #1 was Barry Bonds hitting another home run over the right field wall of the Giants stadium and into the ocean. But then a fan jumped over the stadium's railing and into the cove to swim after the ball. Now that's dedication! I wonder if he swam to shore and re-entered the stadium soaking wet?

 

[DurfBarian]

Considering all the rowboats that are usually out there, I wonder if he made it back to shore without someone beating him over the head with an oar to get the ball.

 

[Forcefeedback]

I think baseballs don't float, so I don't think he had any luck actually finding the ball.

So if someone happened to witness this ball hitting the water and this fan going after it... that someone might still be beating the fan with his/her oar to get the ball that this dedicated fan didn't manage to salvage.

 

[DurfBarian]

The water there is just a few feet deep.

 

[spiral55]

The water there is just a few feet deep.

Making diving into it all the more stupid.

I love baseball, but I cannot possibly understand the lengths fans will go to to retrieve a foul ball or a home run ball. I know certain home run balls are financially valuable (milestone homers, homers that set records or win playoff series, etc.), but I think Bonds' two valuable homers this week pre-date this incident. So it's just a fan obsessed. *shudder*

 

[IDupedInMyPants]

I dunno. "Own the historic ball that some dumbass jumped out of a stadium for" is bound to attract a bid or two.

 

[Forcefeedback]

The water there is just a few feet deep.

Darn! Ill keep mu fingers crossed that a large fish gobbled it up and the fan is now knee deep in the cold water trying his damnest to catch the one in a million fish.

Gogo fish. :thumbsup:

 

[adamfgt78]

The water there is just a few feet deep.

Hmm, I'm not exactly familiar with stadium's geography, but if the ball was hit over the back wall of the stadium and a person jumped off said wall, wouldn't the drop be 40-50 feet or more? And landing in water with the depth of a kiddie pool. Are this guy's legs still intact?

 

[Broncobiv2]

I saw another replay of it, and the guy landed in the water just fine. Came to the surface after about a second. The water seems pretty deep there, I bet it just drops off at the edge of the stadium. The jump off the railing seemed like about 20-30 feet down. He ended up swimming to the ball and grabbing it before any of the rowboats got there.

Bonds has homered in 7 straight games now, so I'm sure the ball has some value. The MLB record is 8, so if he homers tomorrow, he'll tie the record.

Oh, and baseballs DO float.

 

[spiral55]

Bonds has homered in 7 straight games now, so I'm sure the ball has some value. The MLB record is 8, so if he homers tomorrow, he'll tie the record.

If it were the 8th game instead of the 7th, then I could almost begin to understand doing that, even moreso were it the 9th. But the one that got Bonds within one of tying the record won't be of much value to anyone, I think. I doubt anyone paid a lot for Mark McGwire's 60th, or Bonds' 69th a few years ago.

 

[Broncobiv2]

If it were the 8th game instead of the 7th, then I could almost begin to understand doing that, even moreso were it the 9th. But the one that got Bonds within one of tying the record won't be of much value to anyone, I think. I doubt anyone paid a lot for Mark McGwire's 60th, or Bonds' 69th a few years ago.

You're probably right...not much resale value. But it DOES make for a good story, and it'll be valuable to him personally.

 

[Matt]

Yup, they DO float. I bet it will have some value, not a ton, but some. If he went to such measures to dive in and get it, you would think maybe its for himself, not to sell though, I mean, it must have SOME personal value now.

 

[Underseer]

*puts on sunglasses and whistle* TWEEEEEET! Hey, you! *points at derranged fan* Out of the gene pool! Now!