A Story About a Ball
I have an actual World Series baseball.
How did I get it, you might ask. Well, it can be a short story: I caught it at Game 3 of the 2004 World Series. Or you can read the longer story, which follows.
Take yourself back to 2004. At the time, I was working at OneAmerica (honestly, when wasn’t I?). As an actuary, I was in the unusual position of running the Administration area in Individual. That’s basically New Business, Customer Service, and Claims. My friend Jim Kellett was the Division Head. Because he was previously the Line Actuary, he maintained good relations with our reinsurers. For those that don’t know insurance, reinsurers provide insurance to other insurance companies.
Anyway, Jim was originally from St. Louis, and one of our reinsurers (RGA) was based there. Our reinsurance rep, Dave, knew Jim was a big Cardinals fan, and asked Jim if he’d like to go to one of the World Series games, if RGA had any tickets available. Why sure!
On Monday October 25th, Dave called Jim and said they had two seats available for the game on the next day. Jim, being the great guy he is, called me and asked if I wanted to go. Why sure!
Jim and I left Indianapolis around noon on Tuesday in the Brown Bomber (also known as my old 2001 Durango). It is about a five hour drive to St. Louis. On the way, Jim made some calls, and we worried about the weather. All the way through Illinois, it poured down rain. Jim got word from St. Louis that there was supposedly a window in the weather, and they ought to be able to get the game in.
When we arrived in St. Louis, it was still pouring. But with about a half hour remaining until game time, the sky started to clear. Looks like we’re having baseball! You cannot imagine my excitement. Although I am a Cincinnati Reds fan since birth, some of my best friends are dyed in the wool Cards fans. And this was the first (and so far only) World Series game I attended. Our seats were on the first base line, right next to one of those tunnels connecting the concourse with the seating area. Jim sat next to the tunnel, I sat next to him.
Jim, waiting for the game to start
First pitch was at 7:37 local time. Our pitching matchup was Jeff Suppan for the Cardinals and future Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez on the mount for the Red Sox.
Baseball is happening!
(Please pardon the upcoming shift in tense. It seemed appropriate to me somehow.)
In the top of the first, Jeff Suppan gives up a solo home run to Manny Ramirez. 1-0 Red Sox. In the bottom of the first, one out, bases loaded, Jim Edmonds hits a fly ball to who else, Manny Ramirez, who throws out Larry Walker at home, for the double play to end the inning. Still 1-0 Red Sox.
The second inning is quiet, 1-2-3 in both halves. Still 1-0 Red Sox.
In the bottom of the third, the Cardinals threaten again, with Suppan and Edgar Renteria getting on base to start the Cards inning. Renteria doubled, so they are on second and third, no outs. Sadly for Cards fans, Larry Walker grounds out to second, and Suppan gets hung up between third and home and is thrown out by David Ortiz. Pujols grounds out to end the inning. Another rally crushed.
In the fourth, Suppan gives up another run. 2-0 Red Sox.
Now we come to the fifth inning, when the story actually happens. At about this time, Jim has gotten up to pick up some World Series souvenirs for his kids. Other people have also gone on walkabout. In the game, Suppan starts the inning by giving up two straight hits, a lead off double to Johnny Damon, and a single to Orlando Cabrera. So first and third, no outs. Up comes Manny Ramirez.
The first pitch to Ramirez is fouled off. It is one of those towering foul balls that everyone along the first base line thinks they can catch. And just like everyone else, I stand up. But hey, it’s actually coming this way! In the end, it looks like it will land on the other side of the tunnel. But hey, there’s no one there! The ball hits the concrete, bounces across the tunnel, and basically falls in my lap! I have caught a World Series foul ball off of soon-to-be Series MVP Manny Ramirez! Oh, and if Jim would have been in his seat, he would have caught it. Did I think for a second about giving it to him? No. Duh.
The boy and the ball
(Full disclosure: It may have been the second pitch, which was also fouled off. But I rewatched the game to write this post, and the first foul is described as a “high foul ball” and the second as “slicing foul”. So I definitely think it was the first pitch.)
Anyway, Ramirez goes on to single, scoring Damon. Then Bill Mueller singles to score Cabrera. 4-0 Red Sox after five. Not much happens the rest of the game. Larry Walker hits a consolation home run in the bottom of the ninth. Game ends 4-1. Series stands 3-0 Boston. They would go on to close out the Series 4-0 the next day behind Derek Lowe in a 3-0 shutout. But frankly, who cares? The Cardinals have won 11 World Series. C’mon.
So that’s how I come to have a World Series ball.
The ball and the scoreboard