This Week in Ballhawk History - 9/12/1998 - Sammy Sosa's 61st Home Run
It was 10 years ago today that I caught Sammy Sosa's 61st Home run ball on Waveland Avenue in Chicago.
There was one part of the story that no newspapers got to hear. A couple times a week my mom and I would go to the Mississippi Belle 2 Riverboat Casino in Clinton, Iowa. As the home run chase of 1998 progressed many of the dealers would ask me what I thought a ball would be worth. All of them knew my baseball background and that I had caught over 1500 baseballs at games.
Each and every time that they asked me my response was the same, "I will let you know when I get one!" Yes that was really my response even as many as 3 days before I caught Sosa's 61st.
About a week after I caught the ball my mom and I again went to the MB2 at Clinton and as I walked in the door I got HI 5's and even asked to sign some autographs. The best part was getting to tell them $7,500 is what mine was worth.
Could I have gotten more money, most likely, but I was happy with what I got. I did go to the game with only $8 in my pocket that day!
You can read more about the catch in these articles:
Washington Post - In Home Run Chase , Many Happy Returns
NY Times - BASEBALL; Sosa Matches McGwire With Homers 61 and 62
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