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Pug
UR father's brother's nephew's former roommate
+652|6512|Texas - Bigger than France
What is a Ballhawk?

Ballhawk (noun): People who hunt down baseballs. From the Wall Street Journal: "Ballhawks go to games with the intention of grabbing any ball that goes in the stands, especially milestone home runs like a player's first or 500th. Most then refuse to give them back to the player unless he coughs up something valuable in return...."

What do they do?

Ballhawks will attempt to catch milestone balls - footballs, baseballs, or whatever and exchange them for something to sell in the Sports Memorabilia market.  If they get catch a rookie's first homerun, they might ask for a signed ball, jersey, or bat from the team's superstar in return...aka something they can sell.

How do they do it?

They'll buy tickets to milestone games, research the likely places where the ball will be hit - based on hitting tendencies, the pitcher, or even the weather.  There's websites to help you track: http://www.happyyoungster.com/milestone_tracker

League & Player involvement:
There's even professional hawkers who will hope for a payoff and pay their friends to sit in the stands...sometimes the players contract it out beforehand.  For instance, Ken Griffey hired dozens of ballhawks to catch his 600th home run.

MLB now has hired memoribilia authenticators at every game, basically an approval of the sports memoribilia industry.
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/129554

Other:
There's even competitions...

This guy allows you to donate to MADD, kind of like a walk-a-thon.
http://www.mlballhawk.com/

Article in today's WSJ:
Fans Play Hardball After Snagging Even Obscure Milestone Home Runs
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124700099868207685.html

So what's your thought?  Support it?  Hate it?
King_County_Downy
shitfaced
+2,791|6568|Seattle

Doesn't bother me unless they stole the ball I was about to catch. Nice to see the MLB finally getting involved. Some sort of certification or something might help disprove fakes.
Sober enough to know what I'm doing, drunk enough to really enjoy doing it
13rin
Member
+977|6450

Pug wrote:

What is a Ballhawk?

Ballhawk (noun): People who hunt down baseballs. From the Wall Street Journal: "Ballhawks go to games with the intention of grabbing any ball that goes in the stands, especially milestone home runs like a player's first or 500th. Most then refuse to give them back to the player unless he coughs up something valuable in return...."

What do they do?

Ballhawks will attempt to catch milestone balls - footballs, baseballs, or whatever and exchange them for something to sell in the Sports Memorabilia market.  If they get catch a rookie's first homerun, they might ask for a signed ball, jersey, or bat from the team's superstar in return...aka something they can sell.

How do they do it?

They'll buy tickets to milestone games, research the likely places where the ball will be hit - based on hitting tendencies, the pitcher, or even the weather.  There's websites to help you track: http://www.happyyoungster.com/milestone_tracker

League & Player involvement:
There's even professional hawkers who will hope for a payoff and pay their friends to sit in the stands...sometimes the players contract it out beforehand.  For instance, Ken Griffey hired dozens of ballhawks to catch his 600th home run.

MLB now has hired memoribilia authenticators at every game, basically an approval of the sports memoribilia industry.
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/article/129554

Other:
There's even competitions...

This guy allows you to donate to MADD, kind of like a walk-a-thon.
http://www.mlballhawk.com/

Article in today's WSJ:
Fans Play Hardball After Snagging Even Obscure Milestone Home Runs
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124700099868207685.html

So what's your thought?  Support it?  Hate it?
...

Well, if the league was against it they'd force the fans to give back the ball (property of MLB) after each foul or homer.  Since catching that home run or foul ball is part of the spectators' experience, and with wealthy spectators and ultra rich prima donna players -it's only natural this cottage industry has arisen.  Kinda sad too -as its just a friggin' ball.

As long as there is a demand it will continue, and I'm really indifferent as to it..
I stood in line for four hours. They better give me a Wal-Mart gift card, or something.  - Rodney Booker, Job Fair attendee.
Pug
UR father's brother's nephew's former roommate
+652|6512|Texas - Bigger than France
Yeah, but then there is stuff like this happening:
http://www.vote756.com/marcecko/

http://tech.mit.edu/V119/N3/homerun.3w.html

Of course the ball went were it belonged in both cases.
Winston_Churchill
Bazinga!
+521|6709|Toronto | Canada

Who cares? As long as someone wants to buy them they should do it.
Pug
UR father's brother's nephew's former roommate
+652|6512|Texas - Bigger than France
I'm not overly bothered when an all-star has this problem.

But in the WSJ article it talks about a rookie hitting his first home run.  And the hawk asked for a signed ball from Griffey.  So if he didn't get his ball, is it fair to the rookie?
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