The craziest story of a Game Home Run that I have is ........

....................    from May 24th, 1990.

The Dodgers were at Wrigley Field on that day and the wind was blowing in from centerfield. I was out on Waveland Avenue with some of the other ballhawks pretty certain that no game home runs would come out.

In the 4th inning Juan Samuel cracked a home run deep to left field that went into the bleachers. Of course we all know of the Wrigley Field tradition of throwing Home Runs back on to the field if hti by an oppising team. That is exactly what happened with this ball.

But that is where it gets a little crazy.....

One of the regulars in the bleachers just missed the home run and came to the top of the stands by the fence to give us an account of what happened. As he was telling us he pointed up towards the left field family section. Shortly after that I heard a ball hit and I ran after it and scooped it up. I yelled up to him "What the He** was that?" He replied with "The guy just threw the ball back onto the field, 3rd base umpire Doug Harvey picked it up and hurled it out of the ballpark and you got it!"

WOW ...... I got a home run ball and it was thrown out of the stadium by the umpire. I am pretty sure that is a Wrigley Field first! I think what is really impressive is that an umpire had an arm that good!

Harvey was one of the best umpires ever to wear the blue uniform and over the past 9 years has missed getting voted in to the Hall Of Fame by the veterans committee by only a handul of votes in 3 different years! He definitely gets my vote!!