Fan a DBAG? or is he right? you be the judge

[mikieward10]

I think that players dont necessarly ignore the fans, a lot of them are just tryin to stay focused and they just tune out everything around them. You have to remember they dont just deal with fans asking for autos they also deal with fans that want to talk smack. So im sure its easier for them to tune it out. Not saying that there arent some players out there that are aholes. this is just my opinion.

 

[andyduke86]

The fan should be able to do whatever he wants with the ball, it's his ball

It's probably the first HR ball the fan has caught, just like it's the first HR the player has hit in MLB. I don't see a difference or why the player's right to the ball is greater than the fan's. I'd say it's less so if anything. The player has hit HRs before, the fan likely has never caught a HR ball.

 

[prozac4312]

Didn't read anything past the first post...but with the amount of money these guys are making ($400k league minimum)...$10k seems like chump change compared to what he'll make the rest of this season (and his life provided he doesn't get hurt, then he loses twice as the ball ain't worth **** either).

 

[brianga26]

I think that players dont necessarly ignore the fans, a lot of them are just tryin to stay focused and they just tune out everything around them. You have to remember they dont just deal with fans asking for autos they also deal with fans that want to talk smack. So im sure its easier for them to tune it out. Not saying that there arent some players out there that are aholes. this is just my opinion.

Focusing on the game by B.sing with the other team in the outfield? talking about what chick they smoked last night? or where to party? I a buddy of mine is friends with Erik Bedard and said he faked a back injury last year here in Atlanta because 1. his shoulder was huring, and 2. he wanted to go out partying. Needless to say Bedard didn't pick up any drinks that night (he had just signed an extension for 7 milllion)
anyway, just saying, not all players are d-bags, but a lot are getting more and more ******* (I like that word for some reason, thanks Penno)

 

[predatorkj]

If I had caught a player's first career HR ball, instead of asking for an enormous sum of money, I would rather trade the ball to get the chance to meet the player and maybe get an autographed bat and ball or something like that.

Bingo.

 

[predatorkj]

Where I agree is with MA. That ball is clearly the fan's to do with what he will, and he has the right to ask for it what he wants.
I think it just makes him out to be a dbag when he knows it means more to the player than the fan.
If it were a player the caliber of... say... Pujols -- then I'd be stoked that I caught Pujols' HR ball. Imagine if it were a landmark ball.
Look at the player in this situation. Odds are, this guy is not going to be a Pujols. If this fan keeps this baseball, it's going to sit in the dark and collect dust. I think the goodwill that the fan would have earned would have been worth a lot more than the $10k in the end. I say give him the $10k and let him pay the taxes on it... maybe it'll throw him into another tax bracket and screw his income.
Or better yet, just say "yeah, the ball is worth 10k, but I'm not going to pay it" and turn around to contact the IRS that a solid value has been established on the ball so that the guy has to be taxed on the value of the ball as an asset.

Not to argue but this taxes on collectibles bit is retarded.Not you but just the tax aspect.I mean...what if I buy a box of cards and get a huge hit like a Ruth auto or something.Do I now need to report that I pulled a card valued at $10,000 or more to the IRS.

I can only wish I had the problem I mentioned above(I would love a Ruth anything) but my point is...unless an actual sale has been recorded...they shouldn't be able to tax you on it.

 

[predatorkj]

What is league minimum these days?? $250,000 ??? I'm pretty sure if Carson really wanted it, he could afford it. $10K isn't anything at all to a professional ballplayer. Heck, he could have all his rich teammates put $850 each into a pot and have that purchased by the end of the night. Cheap skates!!! I personally don't mind the fan holding out. Don't try to buy me off with a no-namer's autograph on a $70 bat, woo frickin hoo.

I am surprised his team mates didn't offer to do this.

 

[allstars]

Well this should come as a breath of fresh air to you all...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJmOeQkm ... re=related

 

[predatorkj]

The funny thing is...everyone gets mad when they don't get their way.Taking it out on other people is not the right thing to do.So what if these guys make this money.If you were all rich would all of ya'll be shelling out all your money to help others.If you say yes...I'd call you a liar.Does this fan have the right to ask that much for the ball?Yes.But its the guys first homerun ball, we have already established he most likely doesn't have a whole lot of money since he is not an established player in the bigs, and on top of everything, we have also established a lot of you are greedy as hell.A lot of you have even admitted as much and some of you have even gone to the length to say you are the way you are because of other people.Yes...be a-holes because everyone else is an a-hole to you.That's the spirit.

 

[Tom Oates]

If I had caught a player's first career HR ball, instead of asking for an enormous sum of money, I would rather trade the ball to get the chance to meet the player and maybe get an autographed bat and ball or something like that.

Agreed. The player gets his baseball that has meaning to him and in this scenario, I would get an experience that means something to me and a souvenier to remember it by. Everyone is a winner! I don't need $ to do the right thing.

 

[andyduke86]

I would much prefer to keep the ball if it was the first HR ball I caught rather than get to meet Matt Carson or anyone else on the A's (only because I've already met their few decent players).

I think that is likely what the guy wanted anyways, he just wanted to keep the ball himself. It likely has just as much sentimental value to him as it does to the player.

 

[nyc3]

Happy you bought the press release hook line and sinker yet?

The Fan Speaks.................

Posted by unregistered user at 9/25/09 5:34 a.m.

Hi .this is sean.I respect everybody's opinion and realize that alot of things happen at baseball games that never get anything written in a paper or on a blog.If the a security

guard would have came up to me and said...hey the mariners might want the ball back...we will just sit here and wait for someone from the mariners to talk with you about

that.the player might want the ball back." and if the mariners rep would have asked ..well you can keep the ball...butlopez wants the ball back for whatever reason and after the

game and maybe you guys can work something out..if that was the case...i wouldnt mind.BUT I HAD 6 SECURITY GUARDS AND THEN A COP out of nowhere and take me by my

arm out of my seat.i asked why it was necessary and he never answered.I was very calm and rays security was saying that hey you have to give the ball back...those are the

rules.now there are some security guards that are ok.i go to alot of games.but however the main man roger and two security guards were very angry and said i had to give the

ball back...just trying to muscle me.and they brought in a police officer who was very quick to snap and just waiting for me to lose my cool...i didnt...they never told me why they

wanted the ball...and i just didnt appreciate how all of it was handled.it was just wrong.but things happen..what can you do?i ended up keeping the ball.it may be just a home

run ball to some people ...but when you spend alot of money to watch the game and going through all that stuff...i wasnt about to let it go..its not just on the rays or security or

police officer who i wish i got his name...but the mariners for not sending anybody down to at least come talk to me.for all i know the rays security and police were gonna take

me in alley and just try to take the ball from me lol..i had no idea.but like i said situations come up and you just gotta deal with it and people..if there rude or not. dont know if

my comment went through becasue it was long...i respect everyones iopinion and im kinda upset that the seattle commentators were saying that stuff becassue they were up in

the press box and i was in the bleachers dealing with this...i did not know why jose lopez wanted the ball...all they had to do was bring someone from the mariners out there to

explain it and or say to talk to lopez after the game and he will work something out or tell you why he wants the ball back. i would never accept money for the ball...he hit it why

should i make money off that...the mariners never offered anythin to me as far as jersey or bats.i was upset becasue of the way i was being ushered out like i just robbed a

liquor store .that mariners announcer didnt know the situation.he was just i guess commenting because he was so angry.


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The Father of The Fan Speaks..................

Posted by Bob from orlando at 9/25/09 10:39 a.m.

Hello Seattle! -I am Sean's father, and was sitting next to him at the game in question. First of all, I can state as fact that at no time was any exchange for the ball mentioned.

When Sean asked who wanted the ball, again, he was given no answer. All he was told was-You have to give the ball back! No request, no explanation, just demands from the

security personnel from the Rays. Then an armed local police officer from St. Petersburg Florida came over to him in the stands, grabbed his upper arm, and pulled him out of his

seat. He told Sean, you have to come with us! The five or six security personnel and police officer then took him down the stairs despite his questions as to what what going on?

They questioned him again in the lower tunnel threatening to take him "back to their office" in a threatening tone. All this time the police officer still had him by the arm. The

reason he protested in the stands was because they gave him no explanation of anything, yet forced him from his seat and his family. I followed them downstairs because the

way they were trying to intimidate him, I couldn't rule out possible bodily harm.(As in, he tried to fight us and we had to subdue him. At no time did he respond back physically to

the officers or security personnel.)


I could not believe what was going on. Sean asked them-who wants the ball? Lopez, the Mariners? If so, he told them he'd talk only to the Mariner representative. The Rays

security again refused to tell him who wanted the ball, and even went so far as to tell him "MLB says you have to give the ball back!"

I don't think, anyone else in that same situation would believe someone could be dragged out of their seat, taken away and threatened to be taken to "their office" would act

any differently than my son.

Again, at no time did anyone relay any message from the Mariners as suggested by Perez that"they offered him anything he wanted for the ball". I don't blame the ballplayer-he

was probably told that the Mariners tried to get the ball from the fan. Unfortunately, the only ones who may have known this if that was true was the Rays security personnel,

and they relayed none of that to Sean. They only demanded he give the ball back.As for your announcer Mr. Sims, I can only assume that Sean knew of the offers, or the

situation with Perez's sister, which Sean did not. My own sister died from cancer at 22, and I can whole-heartedly understand the situation of Lopez and his sister. Please

understand the situation of Sean, who unknowing of the situation of Lopez, was dragged out of his seat, taken down the stairs to a tunnel, then threatened and intimidated

into an attempt to give the ball back.He did not give the ball back, and I support him, and condemn only the Rays and their organization by not having stepped up to date and at

minimum, apoligize to Sean and his family who were with him that night. In the words of "Frazier", good night Seattle! And I mean that in a good way. Our prayers to Jose Lopez

and his family for their loss..

 

[AmishDave]

I think he's a complete DBag. You watch baseball these days and, let's say, the homer is hit by the away team. How many times do you see the stupid fans throw it back ? At the Dome this nearly always happens (which leads me to this ... )

I was at the Pirates / Twins series in June. We had seats in left field, just to the right (looking at the field) of where Puckett hit the Game 6 HR in '91. The next night we were about 5 rows up from the Twins bullpen. Andrew McCutcheon came up and hit his FIRST MLB HR. Right to where we were at the night before. And guess what the stupid Twins fan did ::facepalm:: ...

So, if I caught a 1st MLB HR, I'd just want a pic with the player and maybe a GU item and to congratulate them on their success. That would be it. Don't care how much said player makes.

 

[nyc3]

psst read what I just posted, the team appears to be covering the security guards and cops rear end. They never offered him anything and demanded he turn over the ball, he never asked for anything at all. Once I seen the part about the 10,000$ cant be confirmed I knew I smelled a fishy PR department scrambling for some reason.

 

[nyc3]

And after dragging this guy through the mud, another tactic to strong arm the ball from this guy.

"The Rays organization offered an apology on Friday.

"The actions that occurred Tuesday night involving Mr. Sean Malafronte do not reflect the attitude of our organization. Ensuring a positive experience for our fans at Tropicana Field has and always will be our most important corporate value," said Rick Vaughn, VP of Communications. "We would like to offer our most sincere apologies to Mr. Malafronte and invite him to be our guest at a future Rays game."

So what happened to their story of a few hats and shirts? So they sent over several security guards to TAKE the ball from him, no hats or shirts as stated in the PR release. He never asked for anything and had no idea why or even who wanted the ball.

SO to recap the team released a press release not ever speaking to him directly accusing him of asking for a silly amount of money taking the word of a rent a cop who couldn't get his job done. And after all of that they release a 3 line apology after making him out to be a "dbag". If I where him I would now demand 40,000 for the ball.

 

[nyc3]

sorry double post

 

[yakacack]

psst read what I just posted, the team appears to be covering the security guards and cops rear end. They never offered him anything and demanded he turn over the ball, he never asked for anything at all. Once I seen the part about the 10,000$ cant be confirmed I knew I smelled a fishy PR department scrambling for some reason.

Isn't this thread about a guy not on the Mariners and a homerun not hit at the Trop?

 

[predatorkj]

And after dragging this guy through the mud, another tactic to strong arm the ball from this guy.

"The Rays organization offered an apology on Friday.

"The actions that occurred Tuesday night involving Mr. Sean Malafronte do not reflect the attitude of our organization. Ensuring a positive experience for our fans at Tropicana Field has and always will be our most important corporate value," said Rick Vaughn, VP of Communications. "We would like to offer our most sincere apologies to Mr. Malafronte and invite him to be our guest at a future Rays game."

So what happened to their story of a few hats and shirts? So they sent over several security guards to TAKE the ball from him, no hats or shirts as stated in the PR release. He never asked for anything and had no idea why or even who wanted the ball.

SO to recap the team released a press release not ever speaking to him directly accusing him of asking for a silly amount of money taking the word of a rent a cop who couldn't get his job done. And after all of that they release a 3 line apology after making him out to be a "dbag". If I where him I would now demand 40,000 for the ball.

If this account is true....I'd be suing their ass.Big time.And not to be greedy.But to make sure this doesn't happen to other fans.Make an example out of them.I am glad he seemed like a level headed guy.I personally would have been pissed off and probably got into a fight and then been arrested if I was treated this way.Its one thing to take them out to the aisle and tell them the player wants to work something out but its another to try to force them to do something and intimidate them.That cop would no longer have a job if it was me.

 

[angelsrockies4ever]

And after dragging this guy through the mud, another tactic to strong arm the ball from this guy.

"The Rays organization offered an apology on Friday.

"The actions that occurred Tuesday night involving Mr. Sean Malafronte do not reflect the attitude of our organization. Ensuring a positive experience for our fans at Tropicana Field has and always will be our most important corporate value," said Rick Vaughn, VP of Communications. "We would like to offer our most sincere apologies to Mr. Malafronte and invite him to be our guest at a future Rays game."

So what happened to their story of a few hats and shirts? So they sent over several security guards to TAKE the ball from him, no hats or shirts as stated in the PR release. He never asked for anything and had no idea why or even who wanted the ball.

SO to recap the team released a press release not ever speaking to him directly accusing him of asking for a silly amount of money taking the word of a rent a cop who couldn't get his job done. And after all of that they release a 3 line apology after making him out to be a "dbag". If I where him I would now demand 40,000 for the ball.

If this account is true....I'd be suing their ass.Big time.And not to be greedy.But to make sure this doesn't happen to other fans.Make an example out of them.I am glad he seemed like a level headed guy.I personally would have been pissed off and probably got into a fight and then been arrested if I was treated this way.Its one thing to take them out to the aisle and tell them the player wants to work something out but its another to try to force them to do something and intimidate them.That cop would no longer have a job if it was me.

That quote by NYC is ridiculous. This event happened in Oakland!

However, after reading about Carson, he comes from my home town. Interesting

 

[predatorkj]

And after dragging this guy through the mud, another tactic to strong arm the ball from this guy.

"The Rays organization offered an apology on Friday.

"The actions that occurred Tuesday night involving Mr. Sean Malafronte do not reflect the attitude of our organization. Ensuring a positive experience for our fans at Tropicana Field has and always will be our most important corporate value," said Rick Vaughn, VP of Communications. "We would like to offer our most sincere apologies to Mr. Malafronte and invite him to be our guest at a future Rays game."

So what happened to their story of a few hats and shirts? So they sent over several security guards to TAKE the ball from him, no hats or shirts as stated in the PR release. He never asked for anything and had no idea why or even who wanted the ball.

SO to recap the team released a press release not ever speaking to him directly accusing him of asking for a silly amount of money taking the word of a rent a cop who couldn't get his job done. And after all of that they release a 3 line apology after making him out to be a "dbag". If I where him I would now demand 40,000 for the ball.

If this account is true....I'd be suing their ass.Big time.And not to be greedy.But to make sure this doesn't happen to other fans.Make an example out of them.I am glad he seemed like a level headed guy.I personally would have been pissed off and probably got into a fight and then been arrested if I was treated this way.Its one thing to take them out to the aisle and tell them the player wants to work something out but its another to try to force them to do something and intimidate them.That cop would no longer have a job if it was me.

That quote by NYC is ridiculous. This event happened in Oakland!

However, after reading about Carson, he comes from my home town. Interesting

In any case...if this does happen to a fan...they need to at least be reimbursed for their ticket.I would be pissed if I had to pay to drive to the park, parking, and then to get in and then I get yanked out of my seat.