Catching a foul ball at a Detroit Tigers game

**torbusto** · August-01-10, 08:28 AM

http://tinyurl.com/theArtoftheFoulBall

Going to a Detroit Tigers game is fun but the odds of getting a foul ball aren't as fun. Usually only 32 balls reach the fans but with a little bit of luck, the right seats & determination, you could as these 32 fans did at a recent game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
ERIC SEALS/Detroit Free Press

The Detroit Free Press had a team of journalists at the game on July 22 to track and tell the story in words, pictures and video of every foul ball hit into the stands and the fans that were luck enough to catch them

Video of the foul balls and fans telling their stories;

http://tinyurl.com/theArtoftheFoulBall

Interactive graphic charting all the foul balls and the story;

http://tinyurl.com/2a7dhn2

**daddeeo** · August-01-10, 10:27 AM

I was at Alan Trammell's last game as a Tiger as a Tiger Stadium with my daughter and son years ago. My son got a ball hit into the left field seats in batting practice and coach
Tito Francona reached over the fence to give my little girl a ball that had rolled to the base of the fence.
Each of my kids got a ball in less that a minute and I had gone to Tiger games for over 35 years at that point without a sniff of one. Go figure.
P.S. My daughter also got a jersey from Kamara Bartee at the end of the game too.

**torbusto** · August-01-10, 10:36 AM

Lucky!
I had a foul ball come right over me when I was shooting the video for this project and
wish I could of reached up and grabbed it LOL!!

**Ray1936** · August-01-10, 11:27 AM

Caught one here in LV last year at a 51's game [[AAA minor league) and promptly tossed it to an eight year old kid sitting a couple rows down from me. The smile on his face was worth more to me than any darn ball.

**torbusto** · August-01-10, 11:29 AM

that's awesome Ray1936! I hate seeing grown men push kids out the way for a ball.

Do the 51's have nice looking ball caps? I wonder if it has some flying saucer or alien log on it, if so I might have to buy one

**Kathleen** · August-01-10, 11:40 AM

Haven't read this piece yet, but am so looking forward to a good read later this afternoon. It love the article concept and love reading the people stories!!

While I haven't caught a foul ball at a Tigers game, I applaud anyone who can barehand and catch one!! Back in '84 during batting practice of Game 5 of the playoffs, I was standing in the left field general admission area in the rows of seats right up against the fence. Lance Parrish was at bat, and hit one right at me!! I put my gloveless hand up more in self defense than to actually catch it, and it hit right on the but of my palm. Boy, did that hurt!!! Bad enough to bruise it badly and to need an icepack. btw...the ball fell to ground and several guys scrambled for it...didn't even check to see if I was OK.

**eno** · August-01-10, 12:06 PM

I sat in the right field upper deck for my last game at Tiger Stadium against the Texas Rangers. Rafael Palmiero hit an arcing fly ball that appeared to be coming right at me. I was thinking WTF do I do now. Fortunately, the ball landed a few seats over and a row back from me.

Did you see the story about the baseball player who broke a woman's nose with a line drive hit into the stands? Then, as medical personnel were taking the woman out of the stands via a stretcher, he hit her with another line drive. LMAO.

**Patrick** · August-01-10, 12:12 PM

My dad caught an Alan Trammell foul batting practice ball and gave it to my brother. My brother takes credit for catching it so they still joke about that. Didn't Jose Canseco hit a foul boul that hurt a little girl? Or was it a splinter from his bat? I know that there were a series of lawsuits involved but don't know what ever came of the incident.

**ja!mz** · August-01-10, 01:16 PM

How come there are only 3 black people pictured?

**cman710** · August-01-10, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by ja!mz

How come there are only 3 black people pictured?

Because those were among the 32 people who caught a foul ball: "The Detroit Free Press had a team of journalists at the game on July 22 to track and tell the story in words, pictures and video of every foul ball hit into the stands and the fans that were luck enough to catch them."

Blarf · August-01-10, 01:42 PM

I still get a kick out of 40-year-old men to run and scramble after a ball. It's kind of an embarrassment. If I ever ended up with a ball somehow, I would just give it to the nearest child.

**torbusto** · August-01-10, 01:43 PM

Hey ja!mz, So glad you got something out of and really enjoyed our foul balls hit at Comerica Park project ;-)

EastSider · August-01-10, 04:57 PM

And the sorry state of journalism in this town just clunked another rung [[two? three?) lower. With all of the pressing issues facing Detroit, the 'burbs and the state of Michigan [[isn't there some kind of voting thing soon?), I'm glad they sent a team out to cover the most meaningless issue possible.

Detroit rises!

**torbusto** · August-01-10, 05:03 PM

"Glad you like it EastSider!"........Yeah go ahead and read my heavy sarcasm in that :-)

Besides it was in the sports section EastSider or did you not look and are just making baseless comments without having the paper in front of you??

Last I looked the "voting thing" and "pressing issues facing Detroit, the 'burbs and the state of Michigan" isn't a sport.

**ja!mz** · August-01-10, 07:06 PM

Originally Posted by EastSider

And the sorry state of journalism in this town just clunked another rung [[two? three?) lower. With all of the pressing issues facing Detroit, the 'burbs and the state of Michigan [[isn't there some kind of voting thing soon?), I'm glad they sent a team out to cover the most meaningless issue possible.

Detroit rises!

Spot on....my thoughts exactly....no one has the paper in front of them anymore..its not worth buying...it was on the main page of the website

**torbusto** · August-01-10, 07:28 PM

ja!mz,
You forgot the apostrophe in "its" as in "it is not worth buying"

Just saying ;-)

**ja!mz** · August-01-10, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by torbusto

ja!mz,
You forgot the apostrophe in "its" as in "it is not worth buying"

Just saying ;-)

I guess I should just run out and sign up to work at the freep then....then wills makes me's as skumarts as you is be...

**Ray1936** · August-01-10, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by torbusto

Do the 51's have nice looking ball caps? I wonder if it has some flying saucer or alien log on it, if so I might have to buy one

Here ya are!

**torbusto** · August-01-10, 08:27 PM

LOL!!! ja!mz

Shit don't work at the freep you need to go on a comedy tour.

Sounds likes you gots your edumication alreadys :-)

**torbusto** · August-01-10, 08:28 PM

Thanks Ray1936, I have to get that ballcap, maybe on ebay. Great logo

**BShea** · August-01-10, 08:35 PM

Back in May, I "caught" a foul off the bat from Cleveland's Asdrubal Cabrera behind home plate at Comerica Park. It landed 2 or 3 rows behind me and there was a scrum for the ball ... meanwhile, while everyone behind me was wrestling for it, I felt a bump on my foot ... the ball had rolled down to me. Pretty funny. And I'm an Indians fan, so it was perfect.

**CLAUDE G** · August-01-10, 08:49 PM

I have gotten 2 foul balls during the past 4 years I have been a season ticket holder.

Got one during the final game in 2008, and I got another one in the first few weeks after opening day in 2009.

I got the ball from 2008, but I ended up giving the one I got in 2009 to this little kid after people booed me for beating him too it.

The thing that pissed me off about this kid I gave the ball to, is that the ball was hit in the area around my seat, this kid ran over from the next section over to try to get it. \

Clearly didn't deserve it, but I ended up doing the right thing by giving it to him.

Blarf · August-01-10, 09:11 PM

Originally Posted by CLAUDE G

I have gotten 2 foul balls during the past 4 years I have been a season ticket holder.

Got one during the final game in 2008, and I got another one in the first few weeks after opening day in 2009.

I got the ball from 2008, but I ended up giving the one I got in 2009 to this little kid after people booed me for beating him too it.

The thing that pissed me off about this kid I gave the ball to, is that the ball was hit in the area around my seat, this kid ran over from the next section over to try to get it. \

Clearly didn't deserve it, but I ended up doing the right thing by giving it to him.

Are you one of those grown men I laugh at who chase balls? If you want one that bad, I will buy you one. They can't be more than $5.

**torbusto** · August-01-10, 09:18 PM

Not sure what is more disturbing Blarf, you getting your rocks off watching grown men chase balls or that you think a MLB baseball is $5.

Actually never mind.....You watching grown men chase balls while getting your own rocks off wins it hands down and I really need to get that visual out of my head.