Red Sox World Series Winning ball

[Galaril]

What do you guys think should he give it back to the owners or should they pay him for it.He thinks they should pay him some cash.The red Sox owner thinks he should just give it back to them.

Red Sox Championship ball (http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2005/01/07/for_now_hes_having_a_ball/)

[sachmo71]

What do you guys think should he give it back to the owners or should they pay him for it.He thinks they should pay him some cash.The red Sox owner thinks he should just give it back to them.

Red Sox Championship ball (http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2005/01/07/for_now_hes_having_a_ball/)


Screw them. He get's cash if they want it.

[Galaril]

I gotta agree with that. They should pay the guy something.

[SunDancer]

How's he got an Olympic Gold Medal?

[Suicane75]

How's he got an Olympic Gold Medal?

2000 Baseball.

[andy m]

they should give him some other ball.

he played for the team, so he should give the ball back to the team. it represents all their efforts, not just one guys.

[Suicane75]

they should give him some other ball.

he played for the team, so he should give the ball back to the team. it represents all their efforts, not just one guys.

They cant all have the ball. And 10 years from now they'll all be on other teams anyway. He'd be giving it to the owner, screw that. If he wants to give it to the city that'd be cool with me, but he's got it so let him keep it or sell it. It stopped being about "the game" a long time ago, but it is what it is.

[Philliesfan980]

I'd keep it. They totally screwed him when he went there anyway (Never played him).

[Philliesfan980]

I currently work in public accounting for a firm (although much smaller) thats similar to D&T. Look at this job! (from the article)

"According to Januszewski, MLB has authenticators from the consulting firm of Deloitte & Touche on site for every game of the baseball season. If a team needs something authenticated, the Deloitte rep is there to slap on a hologram sticker, attach a number, and register the item with MLB."



I'd give my left arm for this job.

[JeeberD]

Don' people donate artifacts to museums all the time while retaining ownership? I think it would be cool of him allow the Sox to put it on display if they want to, but he should be allowed to pull it or sell it whenever he chooses...

[Suicane75]

Good point Jeeb, and I had to scroll up looking for this Don fella.

[Young Drachma]

Whatever man. I don't see anything wrong with it. It's like the owner is asking for it, not some little kid in the stands with ice cream or a little boy with cancer. It's the owner. The freakin' billionaire owner who only got to buy the team because MLB is a cartel run by corrupt bastards.

Look, he's obviously said he'll give up. Let them pay for it. As for him keeping ownership rights, he's no fool. They'll take it and say he owns it - only to get rid of him eventually and be like "Oh, it's team property."

Whatever, players pay each other for numbers..surely a baseball that's so "important" to the "team," is worth a few Gs..or like he said, college tuition. That part cracked me up. Smart guy.

[Qwikshot]

http://www.nbc10.com/news/4058609/detail.html

This is posted in the other discussion, but I think this is more horrid than about this dumb ball.

[MrBug708]

Hopefully the owner says "well, i need to send my grandkids to college, so i'm keeping your world series ring"

[MrBug708]

I'd keep it. They totally screwed him when he went there anyway (Never played him).

How did they screw him? Did he actually think he'd start over David Ortiz? It's also not like he didn't get paid.

[Young Drachma]

If he sells the ball, he can buy World Series rings for his whole family. Keep it. Besides, he can buy his own from Jostens or whoever is making their rings. It's not like the owner has sole dibs.

[rkmsuf]

Who cares it's an effing ball. They can burn Lou Gehrigs pants for all I care.

[Qwikshot]

Who cares it's an effing ball. They can burn Lou Gehrigs pants for all I care.
Do not taunt HappyFunBall.

[SunDancer]

If he sells the ball, he can buy World Series rings for his whole family. Keep it. Besides, he can buy his own from Jostens or whoever is making their rings. It's not like the owner has sole dibs.

Doesn't MLB pay for the rings? These aren't your neighborhood jewelry store rings.

[Bomber]

Aren't the Sox looking to unload him? If so I'd keep it and try and start up a new curse.

[rkmsuf]

Aren't the Sox looking to unload him? If so I'd keep it and try and start up a new curse.

It's either him or Millar. I'm not sure they've made up their mind. Millar may bring more in trade since he has more power.

[SackAttack]

I'm sure Steinbrenner would pay a pretty penny for that. :D

[Castlerock]

Why should Mientkiewicz "own" the ball now? It seems to me that either the Cardinals or MLB "own" the ball.

I'm sure you will agree that Mientkiewicz didn't own the ball when it was in play (although I don't know who did... anyone know?). At what point did it become his?

If I am playing a pickup basketball game with you and when the game ends I just bring the ball home... does it become mine?

I know that there is a tradition that a ball hit out of play can be kept by a fan but that seems to me like it's a gift. Is ownership given up because of a tradition?

[rkmsuf]

Nobody knows who "owns" it. Nobody does really.

It's so stupid. The Red Sox could scuff up any ball, toss it in a glass case and label it "2004 World Series"

[Desnudo]

Aren't the Sox looking to unload him? If so I'd keep it and try and start up a new curse.

Somehow "The Curse of Mientkiewicz" doesn't have the same ring as "The curse of the Bambino."

[Desnudo]

Nobody knows who "owns" it. Nobody does really.

It's so stupid. The Red Sox could scuff up any ball, toss it in a glass case and label it "2004 World Series"

In the Globe article they mentioned that MLB says it's Mientkiewicz'. If he wants to sell it, then that's fine by me. I'd rather see the Red Sox acquire a bottle of the soul-glo that Pedro used during the series and stick that in a musuem.

[Young Drachma]

MLB has already certified that since he caught it, the ball belongs to Mientkiewicz. The team is just wanting him to be nice.

As for the rings, teams purchase the rings. Not the league. Why would the other owners want to pay for another team's championship rings? A team wouldn't deny him a ring, hell Nomar is gonna get one and he wasn't even on the team when they won.

[Glengoyne]

Why should Mientkiewicz "own" the ball now? It seems to me that either the Cardinals or MLB "own" the ball.

I'm sure you will agree that Mientkiewicz didn't own the ball when it was in play (although I don't know who did... anyone know?). At what point did it become his?

If I am playing a pickup basketball game with you and when the game ends I just bring the ball home... does it become mine?

I know that there is a tradition that a ball hit out of play can be kept by a fan but that seems to me like it's a gift. Is ownership given up because of a tradition?
I heard someone report that the home team owns the balls while they remain in the park. Once the ball leaves the park, the ball is "owned" by the first fan to control it. I'm not sure if the definition of "park" is equal to "in the field of play" or if there is a special circumstance for homeruns caught by fans in the stands.

According to this ruling, it looks like the ball would be the property of the Cardinals. Then again, it has left the park. I think a case could be made that he was the first to control it when it left the property. I'd say if the team wanted it, they should have asked for it right away. They only want it now, because he had the foresight to keep it, and has expressed a desire to look into selling it.

[Young Drachma]

Here is the alternate text, for the picture on the front page of the NY Times online for today - showing Mienkietwicz catching the ball.

Red Sox Dispute Victory Ball (Funny, Buckner Let His Go)

Someone has a sense of humour.

[BishopMVP]

File this under the Dan Shaugnessy is a dick, not Mientkiewicz.Minky Says He Was Sandbagged by Shaughnessy, Says Lucchino Has His Number, Maintains Claim Ball is His

"The other guy (Shaughnessy), he was laughing. I thought it was going to be a light-hearted article, I was just joking around with him and kidding about it and the whole thing about I can be bought, it was all in jest." -- Doug Mientkiewicz with WEEI's Dale and Neumy

Mrs. Minky Steps to the Plate

"well i might find that i regret posting this but i used to post frequently on the twins board and found most of them to be respectful and intelligent baseball fans. from what i have read here over the last 6 months, i find the same to be true here so i will at least impart the truth of this story. yes doug does have the ball and yes we did authenticate it after the series. thank god we did or any person off the street could claim they had the ball. we have told numerous sources since the series ended that we have the ball and not until this article have we been approached by anyone with the red sox to return it to them for a museum. furthermore, the first we heard of that was through the media and not through a personal conversation with anyone with the red sox. doug and i have no intention of selling the ball for profit. doug did say he could be bought, joking and laughing the whole time. he also said how much he knows the value of this ball and what it means to red sox nation. so before everyone goes crazy, know this, we have always had the ball, we have told other media sources we have it and they have never pitted us against the ownership. there must be some agenda here that i am unaware of but i am sure doug and the team can resolve everything and all will be happy in the end."

Post 2: "honestly - until this morning- we had not even talked about it. so to be completely forthcoming, i don't know where it will go first. i am sure it will end up there. like i have said- we have not even talked to the management to find out what they would like to do. one thing we know - it should not sit in a safety deposit box. we need to discuss with the red sox where it should go, whether it be to a museum, or the Hall or on a tour. this should have been a conversation we had privately but i guess it gives people something to get fired up about when exposed to the public. based on the way the media operates up there- you guys will probably know before i do as to what happens."

Post 3: "you're welcome. the irony is he called doug to talk about the kevin/doug situation going on and doug did not want to comment about anything until theo made a decision so they started talking casually about the ball and the world series." -- Jodi Mientkiewicz, RedSox.com message board

[Suicane75]

This wives posting on message boards seems to be an internet wide thing.

[DaddyTorgo]

so how do we get rid of Shaughnessy the giant dick? He's really starting to irritate me. Won't even glance at his columns anymore.

[Ragone]

Have you seen my baseball?