I vaguely remember a few years ago a news story about a kid in the crowd at a baseball game caught the ball and then someone pinched from him. There was an argument about who caught the ball and thus win the prize.
How much money is offered at these games for catching the baseball? Fairly sure it was in the USA.
I was reminded by watching the cricket, where if someone catches the ball there is no prize, other than the admiration of other spectators.
I caught a ball in Safeco field this year (I was visiting) and I got a lovely little card that says “You caught a ball hit by ______ in the top/bottom of the ______ inning.” No cash reward unfortunately.
Sounds like the story might have gotten mixed up with one of the record-breaking baseballs back in the Sosa/McGuire race. Or one of Barry Bonds’ balls. Those balls can be worth quite a bit of money - so they would be fighting over who owns it and can thus sell it.
There is not typically a prize except the ball itself.
You might be confusing several incidents.
Off the top of my head. There was a kid at a game, a foul ball came to him and some drunken jerk grabbed the ball from him. The Kid starts bawling and one of the players noticed all this. They brought the child and his Dad into the clubhouse and gave him signed baseballs and a Jersey.
Barry Bond’s record setting home run ball was fought over by two men. Fist fights and all. Came down to a court case, ball was sold, each combatant got some money and their lawyers got a lot of money.
Jim
Even this is new to me. I’ve caughts several balls at games, and I’ve never gotten anything but the ball itself. Never heard of any rewards being offered anywhere in baseball, except for perhaps an autographed bat and some gifts if the ball hit was particularly important to the person hitting it.
I don’t know if they still do it, but used to be that when a fan made a nice grab of a foull ball at an Orioles’ game, the public address announcer would say, “Give that fan a contract!” Rumor was that they actually did get some sort of honorary contract, but I can’t say it that’s true. I never caught one. 
Yeah, the usher at Safeco said it was a relatively new thing they’ve introduced. And, from his tone of voice and body language, I got the idea that it wasn’t the favorite part of his job.
It’s probably a waste, seeing as how I threw mine away when I left the stadium. If only it was usable as a free beer voucher or something.
There are a lot of comical incidents regarding baseballs hit into the stands. Another one that stands out is when a ball was hit in the direction of an elderly man. A much younger fan (in his 20s, I imagine) jumped in front of the ball and knocked the older man over. Well, the old man’s wife was not going to have this. She had a scolding look on her face and started landing blows on the young man with her umbrella! This was shown on sport shows for a few weeks following. Classic!
Maybe a free soda or hot dog, but I doubt they would be giving out free beer. That’s illegal in a lot of places.
Ahhhh - they keep the ball.
That explains why people were fighting over the ball. The ball itself is valuable. I thought they just threw the ball back to the players.
At some little league parks I’ve been to, kids who retrieve foul balls (hit over the fence) get free drinks at the concession stand. I’m guessing because of budget. Pop is cheaper than baseballs.
Actually in the Australian domestic one-day games their are cash prizes (up to thousands of dollars) for fans that catch sixes. The best one I saw taken was at North Sdney Oval by a guy standing near the fence. He was holding a glass of beer in his right hand and neatly caught the ball in front of his face lefthanded without spilling a drop.
My great-grandfather used to push little kids out of his way to get the ball.
What goes around comes around.
At ballgames in Japan, as the ball is heading towards the stands, the ushers have whistles that they blow warning fans that the hit ball in headed their way. Once a person catches the call, they are required to return it (cheapskates) at most venues. Although I’ve seen instances where the fan gets to keep the ball but I can’t remember which stadiums.
As a resident of the US, I have no idea what your first sentence means!
Anyway, I am not sure how it is in other countries, but American sports fans are really stupid when it comes to trying to get free things from the playing field during sporting events. Grown men will trip each other, climb over rows of seats, and generally put themselves and others around them in danger in order to get an ugly cheap t-shirt with a radio station logo on it that was shot out of an air cannon. Frisbees, little plastic footballs, and discount pizza coupons dropped by a remote control blimp causes a similar life or death struggles. Chasing a foul ball or home run kinda falls into the same category, although I admit, it would be cool to have a souvenier from a major league game (but I would not step on an 8 year old kid to get it).
Please forgive my typos in the previous message.
“Actually in the Australian domestic one-day games their are cash prizes (up to thousands of dollars) for fans that catch sixes”
Translates to:
In games of cricket played between Australian teams in Australia there are prizes for spectators who catch the ball on the full once it goes into the spectator area.
n.b. There are also prizes for batsmen who hit advertising signs with the ball.
USA still has some stadiums with prizes for hitting a sign.
In minor league parks it might be a new suit or diamond bracelet.
I think Milwaukee had a Million dollar sign, but I could be wrong on that.
Jim
I think I know what you’re talking about. Several years ago, baseball player Barry Bonds hit a record-setting home run. One fan caught it and claimed that another fan stole it from his grasp.
One fan ended up suing the other because the ball was worth a lot of money at auction. But the baseball team or the baseball stadium did not offer a prize: the value of the baseball was simply that which could be received at auction.
Most times, the only thing someone gets out of catching a baseball is the baseball itself, and the sentimental value thereto. This case was an exception because of the historic nature of the home run.
See here for more:
hmmppfff: See post 3 please. 
Jim
Many years ago I was at an indoor soccer game (The Pittsburgh Spirit). A ball was kicked and entered the stands and I caught it. There was a round of applause for my catch, and I threw the ball back. I had to make it over the plexiglass (hockey venue) and my throw wound up hitting a player for the opposing team in the back of the head. That was a crowd pleaser, lots of applause/catcalls/etc. The guy I hit turned towards the stands and angrily gave a one-fingered salute, which got him a penalty!