When you hear the umpire yell “Foul Ball” at a baseball game, it’s kind of an exciting play for the baseball fans because one lucky fan gets a shot at a free souvenir. Some hockey fans might tell you a story about how cool it was to get hit in the head with a hockey puck at a NHL game. It’s another free souvenir!
Any type of ball, puck, jersey or piece of equipment used in a professional sports game is a great souvenir to bring home, and sometimes these things can become very valuable. What are the most valuable souvenirs you can get at a Big League game?
Bonkers For Baseballs
762nd Homerun
When Barry Bonds was blasting over 70 homeruns every season, fans were paying extra to sit in the homerun bleachers to get a shot at catching the record-breaking homeruns. Barry was hitting so many homeruns out of the stadium and into the San Francisco marina that baseball fans were even buying kayaks to track down any homerun that could fall into the Ocean.
Bucks for Balls
San Fran Marina
If you want to know why the fans are so crazy for snatching one of Barry’s homerun blasts, just check out what these souvenirs are selling for online. Barry’s 762nd-Hometun-ball which broke the record for most homeruns by one player all-time, was sold on an online auction for $376, 612.
Ask and You Shall Receive
Be Polite!
The easiest way to get a souvenir at a pro game is actually pretty easy. The athletes have a soft spot for children, so all you have to do is ask them for something and there’s a good chance they’ll just give you a piece of something they have on them. The best time to get something is after the game when the athletes are leaving the court/rink/field. They usually look for a nice happy kid wearing their jersey and if you’re lucky, they might just hand you their stinky jersey right off their back.
Get It Autographed!
Generous Jarome
Make sure to get your souvenir autographed just after the game. There is usually an area where reporters meet the players after the game for interviews. This is a great spot for you to try and ask politely for your favorite player to come over and quickly sign your souvenir. The autograph is not just a nice way to make your souvenir unique, but you might get a chance to say something nice to your hero.
