I just realized it’s been almost two weeks now, so I better write about it while the 3000th hit is still fresh in everybody’s memory. Yeah, it’s a great accomplishment, blah blah blah. But there is no way the story being reported is what really went down. Here’s what I think actually happened:
The pudgy guy caught the ball and instantly was brought by security to a private room somewhere in Yankee Stadium. There he was told by some PR person (and probably a lawyer) that “Mr. Jeter,” one of the greatest Yankees ever, would really like to have the ball. They said “Listen kid, there’s a way to make us all look good here. What do you want? We’ll give you what you want, you say what we want, and it’s win win.” Maybe all he asked for was the tickets. Maybe the luxury box seats were the Yankees idea. Maybe they actually gave him the tickets and a large amount of money under the table. But there’s no way he just walked in there and said “Here ya go.” That’s just not how things work.
I’d like to think if it were me I would have done nothing right away, and gone home that night with the ball to think about my options. Although I probably would have crumbled under the pressure just like that kid did.
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About Mark Vandeusen