Foul Ball Etiquette
 

At what age is it no longer right to keep a foul ball? I would argue that on your 18th birthday, you give up that freedom (in exchange for some other freedoms) and yet no one really talks about it.

If you are over 18 and you catch a foul ball you must:

- Give it to your kid. Or a younger family member who attended the game with you. Or a kid nearby. Or a kid next to a hot chick. This is the move.

- Give it to your date. Probably the only thing that 1ups the "give it to a kid" rule. If your date doesn't want it, give it to a kid nearby.

- Give it to your old man who has never caught a foul ball in his entire life of going to baseball games. If he has caught a foul ball, give it to a kid nearby.

If there are no kids or hot chicks nearby, then I guess you can keep it. But the reason why you should give it away is because it will make you feel better, it will make you look better in the eyes of others, and really, wtf are you going to do with a foul ball? Frame it? Put it on a mantle?

Like if you are over 18 and you kept the foul ball, then what did you do with it? Took it home? When your friends asked what that ball was on your mantle did you say "oh yeah, I caught a foul ball one time"? But did you really need the foul ball itself to tell the story? Is it because you have that superpower where you touch an object and instantly know it's entire history?

No. It's because you're a douchbag. You could have easily told that story without having the physical ball. And you could have added "and I gave it to this kid and he had the happiest smile on his face" or "and then I gave it to this chick and we went out a couple times and then I married her".

If you are over 18 and you catch a foul ball then, and I'm really sorry to inform you of this because they never told us this during our childhood when we were beginning to discover our love for the game, you have to get rid of it. It is the law.

And we're talking about foul balls. Home Run balls are a little bit more socially acceptable to keep. Or throw back.

Or maybe if it's a really special record breaking at-bat and you catch the foul. I think you can keep that. But really shouldn't because it's just the foul ball, not the actual record breaking ball.

So yes, all foul balls caught by those 18 years or older are to be given away. No exceptions.

You have obviously been watching too much about the one kid at the D'Backs game this week, haven't you?

Its on the news every fucking time and that old lady usher yelled at him to give it to the crying kid.

He had every right to keep it though

Probably, but it was a good move to give it away. Look at all the stuff he's gotten because of it.

In case you missed it:

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Oh I didn't know the other kid dropped it. I thought he caught it and then gave it to the crying kid cause he got yelled at by the usher.

I'll give away the 2nd foul ball I catch, but the first one is mine.

Let the little pipsqueak kid sit through about 50 baseball games and never catch one like I have..doesnt deserve to be just given a ball..no one ever gave me one.

So what are you going to do with it?

That kid in the red shirt has some class, I gotta say that much.

The one the douchebags were all flaming because he should have kept the ball?

What if you're just visiting to go to a ball game while visiting America, as I did for the Braves home opener? Does your tourist status give you the right to bring something home as a memento of your trip, or does the fact that you're not a loyal supporter of the team mean you should give it away?

Whoa. Kane Knight in the sports forum.

Yeah, you can keep it if you're a tourist. Though you should also consider giving it to a "bird" nearby as not only is it a good icebreaker but being from another country is another good talking point as well. 70% chance you'll get in that "bird"'s pants and you didn't even have to do anything really.

Hate when people throw home run balls back onto the field when the away team hits one. Fucking waste of a once in a lifetime moment.

You gonna shave their eyebrows too so that they can suffer like you?

blame the Cubs.

Droford, you have just caught a foul ball and you are going to take it home.

What do you do with it?

<font color=goldenrod>I'd keep it unless I was in an area filled with little kids. In that instance I probably wouldn't even bother trying.

If it's an area with mostly adults, fuck yeah I'm keeping it.</font>

And then where does it go? In your room? Are you proud of it? Do you regale them with the tale of when it was mid September and neither the Orioles nor Royals were in contention yet 8,000 showed up to a meaningless game where the O's backup 3rd baseman fouled off a 1-0 pitch in the 7th inning of a 2-1 game where you fought off no one because no one was there?

Can you not tell that story without the foul ball? Why are you keeping it? Why are you proud of it?

Like I said, Ive probably been to about 50 games in my life and never caught one so it would be worth it to keep it. And it would go well with all my other ticket stubs, media guides, programs, give-aways and etc.

I came pretty close to catching a HR in batting practice a few years ago, if I had stood up I probably would have had a chance to catch it since it went two rows behind me but I wasnt paying attention.

If I'd caught Jeter's 3000th hit I'd be in the Yankees offices for days to see how far I could push them for it.

Feel like the chance of ever catching a ball at a game is extremely low though so hell yeah I'd keep it.

I have no problem in admitting that if I were to go to an MLB game (would be my first) and I happen to catch a ball, I would keep it.... no questions asked.....

This.

Kids half or more than half my age got all the time in the world to go to baseball games and got a shot at a foul ball/home run.

If some kid was a row ahead of me, I might give it up. 5 or 6 rows back, forget it.

I have a foul ball. I think I was 18 when I got it. Actually I guess my dad got it, it was at a Nationals game and there was nobody around us and it landed like 3 seats to the right of my dad. I have it in my room somewhere.

How about this Scenario. You are at a DC United game sitting pretty close to the field. You are there with your friend who is 19 years old and like 5 feet tall. They throw out t-shirts at half time and she stands up and catches one of them. There are a bunch of kids and Mexicans around. Is it acceptable for her to keep the shirt?

Also if I catch a foul ball and there is a kid in a Yankees hat, there is no way I am giving it to him.

Need your opinions on this RoXer

Also the shirt is really large, like XXL and she is so small.

yeah you're on a date so she trumps little kids

but maybe you could both joke about how that's way too big for her and she should give it to one of the little kids

Noh it's not a date. You are there with a guy friend too. And the girl catches the shirt.

I'm sorry. You have way too many friends for me in this hypothetical situation in order for me to even begin to evaluate a conclusion.

I'm having a panic attack at the thought of having all these hypothetical friends. I need to go lay down.

Fuck man it's a composite of a situation that really happened. I should stop writing in second person and maybe you will understand then.

I mean, it's soccer. The only thing comparable to a foul ball would be a stray hockey puck I suppose. Almost everything else in every other sport they make you give back. So we're talking about "giveaways" or "prizes" now and not actual memorabilia from the game.

So like when they shoot out shirts from the shirt gun then yeah it's ok to stand up and maybe even put up a hand or two to show you're enthusiasm for wanting the shirt. You could even yell out "woo" or something if you really want to get crazy with it. But when they throw it, try to maintain yourself. Don't make much of an effort for it unless it's at you or the 4 seats around you. Otherwise you're fighting over a shirt.

Any "giveaways" they hand out at not baseball games are meaningless compared to a foul ball. And what I'm saying is foul balls really aren't that meaningful once you're over 18.

So just keep your composure when they're handing that shit out and you'll be fine.

If the shirt went to her and she caught it then she can keep it.

Hopefully she did not fight off any poor mexican children for it.

If she kept it, it's fine because it's just a shirt. If she gave it away it's fine because it's just a shirt.



Starting to think more on this though and I think girls/females/women may be exempt from any foul ball etiquette. hmmm

She keeps the shirt in this scenario.

Than it's cool then.

Phew

I disagree. I think if you give the shirt to a kid in front of the girl then it makes you look better in front of her.

Maybe if you catch the shirt. But in this scenario she catches the shirt.