Mystery over World Series ball

[HARDCORE]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slu...ters&type=lgns

Mystery over World Series ball

By Scott Malone

BOSTON (Reuters) - The season is over, the debris from the World Series victory parade has been swept up but one last question bedevils the Boston Red Sox...where is the ball?

When Game Four against the Colorado Rockies ended on Sunday night, Boston catcher Jason Varitek gloved the final strike and tucked the ball in his pocket as the team celebrated their series win.

Varitek told reporters he later handed the ball to closing pitcher Jonathan Papelbon, who hurled the final strike.

But Papelbon, the impish right-hander who won Boston fans over by doing celebratory jigs on the mound, denies any knowledge of the ball's whereabouts.

"I don't know what happened to it," he said. "If I did have it I wouldn't tell anyone that I did."

After the 2004 World Series that ended Boston's 86-year streak without a championship, the Red Sox sued former first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz, who had since joined the New York Yankees, to claim the ball that ended the final game.

Boston ultimately negotiated a deal in which the ball was displayed in Fenway Park for a year and then lent to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.


In the past, baseballs carrying historic significance have sold for huge sums of money.

The ball that St Louis Cardinals first baseman Mark McGwire clubbed in 1998 for a then record-breaking 70th home run in a season sold for $3 million.



Updated on Friday, Nov 2, 2007 2:49 pm, EDT

[revwardoc]

That controversy has quieted down a bit. Maybe Pap has it or maybe Veritek; neither is admitting it one way or the other. If you look at the video you can see Veritek reaching behind himself and placing the ball in his back pocket. What happened after that is anyone's guess.

Didja hear about Barry Bonds' record breaking home run ball? The guy who bought it wants to donate it to the Baseball HOF after he brands it with an asterisk! Love it! Bonds says he will never personally go to the HOF if that happens. GOOD! He doesn't deserve it.

[82Rigger]

I think Papelbon has the Final Pitch ball.

Which is fine...just means that it will probably surface sooner or later and see some REASONABLE disposition instead of being sold for megabucks.

If Barry Bonds shadow never darkens the Baseball HOF, then we just wait for someone to beat HIS record. He'll be a "has-been". Can't be that far off.