You’re fantasizing. No-one has “besmirched his memory.”
I don’t know. This whole thing makes me feel bad as a baseball fan and a father. This particular guy from watching the video didn’t appear to be doing anything too crazy for the ball, he just happened to be seated in the row before the overhang, which he plunged over to his death as his son watched in horror.
The quotes of this guys dying moments as he’s being carried away are full of remonstrations for the welfare if his boy, informing paramedics of his situation.
Goddamn…anyone that’s a parent and a baseball fan that makes fun of that shit is a shithead.
Sorry in advance.
Oh please.
The path to knowledge is long, and lined the whole way with annoying bastards.
Maybe this has something to do with money. Back when sports were for kids and a few adults, and nobody expected to be a multimillionaire in his twenties from playing kids’ games, I wonder if people were able to retain a little more perspective. Catch it because it is a memory, not because I can sell it for $5,000 on e-bay.
The ball shouldn’t be more valuable because somebody died trying to snag it.
Regards,
Shodan
But that requires me going to MPSIMS, doesn’t it?
Dunno about that kid, but if I were the kid, I’d burn it.
Please what, dude? Its a horrible story. This wasn’t some crazed fan trying to catch Barry Bond’s 73rd homer for a cashout. It was some hapless guy with his son trying to catch a ball in an apparent nonchalant way that ended with him slipping up and dying. Hardly worthy of scorn, puns and the like.
Oh yeah, I’m in the Pit. I need to get out of here. I can’t stop pretending I am that guy with my own son. Its heartbreaking.
It is a horrible and heartbreaking story. I also agree that this particular guy wasn’t doing anything stupid or annoying in his grab for the ball; it’s just terrible luck that it ended with him going over the rail.
But, as far as i can tell, none of the scorn and puns in this thread have been directed at the dead man himself. No-one is besmirching his memory. And the gallows humor is pretty par-for-the-course around here; it doesn’t mean that people don’t feel sympathy for the man’s family.
Agreed. I think that in hindsight we can all agree that the dad made a bad decision, but he wasn’t being agressive nor was he actively risking his life. He tried to catch a ball, missed and suffered horribly because of it. His son has just begun to suffer. I understand that this is not a sports friendly forum, but really. There is no need to heap scorn on this guy and every reason to feel impossibly bad for his family. My heart aches for that little boy.
Of course it’s heartbreaking. That’s what makes it funny.
That would take you beck better than 160 years, when the first organized baseball games were played. By now it’s an adult game, too, though it’s more that softball is the adult game.
*Umpire: Okay, let’s go over the ground rules. You can’t leave first until you chug a beer. Any man scoring has to chug a beer. You have to chug a beer at the top of all odd-numbered innings. Oh, and the fourth inning is the beer inning.
Chief Wiggum: Hey, we know how to play softball.*
But it really was just a ball. 
I’m sure he’s already thinking it. He will probably go to sleep every night of his life thinking, “Why did you do that, dad, it was just a ball”.
We aren’t besmirching. This is recreational anyway, no one here knows him personally. Look, it’s a very sad and tragic thing that happened. Sad and tragic for him, his son and the rest of his family and friends. He made a bad judgement and paid for it. Still no matter how you slice it, it’s just a ball. His dying over it doesn’t change that - it’s not like he threw himself on a grenade.
Having read your posting style without interacting with you for a few years now…I’d have to agree. If I had a little more time to stop thinking about the guy’s life ending prematurely in a bizarre accident and his son having to not only witness his death and relive it for the rest of his life, but deal with not having his Dad for the same duration, then I’d be right there with you.
I totally get the humor, though.
I see a difference between a foul or home run ball, and one just tossed into the stands. They didn’t used to just toss balls into the stands; they would be fined if they did. So maybe that’s just my age.
I outraced a back of nine-year-olds to my home run ball, when I was in my twenties. Of course, the nine-year-olds were looking at a long-haired, bearded freak heading at them full steam with a pencil in his teeth, beer in one hand (didn’t spill a drop) and scorecard in the other. I may have scared them just a bit.
It was (and is) meaningful to me. It was my first after many games; it was a goal since I was a child. I still have that ball, and I don’t even remember who hit the home run. But it was a clean race, and I won it. I wouldn’t knock people down, and I wouldn’t risk a life. And if it happened again today, I’d still try to outrace the kids, but I’m a lot slower these days.
Lovely.
I grew up with your people and I still find them…odd. But I trust Nate Silver more than any other pundit because of it.
I just need to shut the fuck up and get a sense of humor. My dark mood isn’t being helped by my own situation RE: divorce, children, etc so I need to go away.
Somewhat douchy to get the first one. Damn douchy to have to get the second one too. Let someone else enjoy their petty moment of glory.
Eat something meaty and greasy, Fois, if you can still afford it. 
I meant if I still didn’t have a ball. I’m fine with one. Nowadays, I don’t even keep score anymore.
I don’t care about the ones they toss into the stands. Even if I didn’t have my ball, I wouldn’t try for those.