I just watched this video showing a guy at a baseball game catching a home run. (Youtube video, possibly NSFW)
After he catches it the people behind him are booing and telling him to throw it back. Why is this? I thought it was traditional to keep the ball as a souvenir.
In some parks it is traditional to throw back any HR ball hit by the visiting team. Cubs fans might be the most notorious for this.
Why would that video be NSFW? I didn’t see a single boob. I was so disappointed.
I was at current It Pitcher Stephen Stasburg’s debut a couple weeks ago and Delwyn Young hit a 2-run homer off him. The guy threw it back and got a rousing cheer. Good on him, but I would have kept it.
–Cliffy
It’s a big deal in Chicago, but I don’t like that this has spread to other ballparks. I like that individual teams have their own traditions, and it shouldn’t need to appear at the other ballparks.
It’s like playing “Sweet Caroline” at Shea, that was an abomination. :mad::eek:
I always feel bad for the home team fielder who has to meander over and pick up the home run ball that was thrown back on the field. Like a walk of shame impossed on the home team. Fetch this!
Exactly. You only throw the home run ball back if it’s hit by the **opposing **team. They have insulted your team and -ptui- you don’t need their stinkin’ baseball.
OTOH, if you catch a **foul **ball hit by the opposing team, I think even the most rabid Cubs fan would catch it and keep it. Like Steve Bartman.
[nitpick]
It’s only a big deal in Wrigley. White Sox fans hate this practice, and throwing the ball back at Comiskey, I mean, the Cell is generally taken as a sign that you’re either a reformed Cubs fan or ignorant of baseball tradition. See this Facebook page, for instance. You will generally get heckled at Sox Park if you do this.
[/nitpick]
Knowing this has made my day brighter. Thank you. 
I’ve seen footage from Wrigley of balls hit out into the street being thrown back into the bleachers, with a relay throw back onto the field.
Some girl was flipping the bird but that’s all I saw.
When Greg Maddux hit a foul ball at Wrigley in his return after signing as a free agent with Atlanta, some fan threw it back.
With all the shouting there was a chance that some swearing was involved. Also, there is a reasonably good chance of there being swearing in the comments section of most videos that could trip filters in a workplace, hence the ‘possibly’ NSFW.
I can sort of understand the idea behind not keeping a memento of a point scored against your team but the crowd reaction seemed a bit OTT to me, i’m sure if most of them caught it they would have kept it.
I have been to other stadiums where the ball is thrown back IF the opposing team is a hated rival. For instance, I’ve seen home runs hit by the Giants thrown back at Dodger Stadium, and a home run hit by the Yankees thrown back in Anaheim. But it isn’t an every day thing at other stadiums. I definitely associate it generally with the Cubs.
I was at that game, too. I read later in the WaPo that a security guard came down and told the guy you’re not allowed to throw anything onto the field at the Nats stadium including balls hit into the stands.