Foul Balls
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Re: Foul Balls
[ Author: westbaystars | Posted: Mar 13, 2004 8:04 PM
| YBS Fan
]
The whole returning of foul balls and home runs was started to protect fans from putting themselves into harms way trying to catch them. In a nutshell, that's the history and custom.
However, most stadiums now allow fans to keep home runs. Fans may keep foul balls at some stadiums, while other stadiums, after confirming that nobody was injurred, will often exchange some team goods for the foul ball.
One myth I'd heard was that teams were cheap and wanted to keep the foul balls for practice. I've never heard of any evidence to back up such a myth, though.
Nonetheless, from my understanding, it's a stadium public safty policy, not a team policy. And most of the teams don't have any control over stadium policies as the stadiums are owned by other entities.
However, most stadiums now allow fans to keep home runs. Fans may keep foul balls at some stadiums, while other stadiums, after confirming that nobody was injurred, will often exchange some team goods for the foul ball.
One myth I'd heard was that teams were cheap and wanted to keep the foul balls for practice. I've never heard of any evidence to back up such a myth, though.
Nonetheless, from my understanding, it's a stadium public safty policy, not a team policy. And most of the teams don't have any control over stadium policies as the stadiums are owned by other entities.
Re: Foul Balls
[ Author: Guest: tickety tockety | Posted: Mar 16, 2004 8:11 AM
]
I can tell you from first hand experience that they let me keep the ball I caught when I went to see a BayStars' game at Yokohama stadium.
On a side note, the safety policy seemed to be working, even after allowing people to bring home foul balls. The idea of moving away from a foul ball seems to be engrained in the minds of Japanese baseball fans. The only reason I was able to catch the foul ball was because everybody moved out of the way. The ball actually bounced twice before it ended up in my hands.
On a side note, the safety policy seemed to be working, even after allowing people to bring home foul balls. The idea of moving away from a foul ball seems to be engrained in the minds of Japanese baseball fans. The only reason I was able to catch the foul ball was because everybody moved out of the way. The ball actually bounced twice before it ended up in my hands.
Re: Foul Balls
[ Author: Guest: Steve Bedell | Posted: Mar 18, 2004 10:55 AM
]
Data from games I've been to:
- Yokohama Stadium, 2004: fans kept foul balls
- Chiba Marine Stadium, 2004: fans kept foul balls
- Buffaloes Home Stadium in Osaka, 2002: all foul balls were collected by ushers who traded for the ball with a cheap looking trinket (keychain size)
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I am writing a paper on property interests of baseballs and I heard a story from a friend that home runs and foul balls are not kept by fans at Japanese baseball games. Can you give me any info or history on this rule? Or is it a custom? Any info you can get me would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Jason