Manny Ramirez hit his 500th home run over the weekend. The ball that came off the bat for that historic homer could have fetched at least $10,000 for the lucky fan who caught it. Luckily for real sports fans everywhere the ball was caught by a RedSox Fan - who returned the ball to Manny because he said Manny deserved it. Ramirez will likely have the ball auctioned off with the proceeds going to charity - so good things all around. I am sure the fan feels like his moment with Manny and the rest of team was worth well more than the value of the ball - and that is the true love of the game......
June 2, 2008 -- A big-hearted Upper West Side baseball fan made the catch of a lifetime - and then returned the ball for free to the slugger who blasted it into the stands.
Damon Woo grabbed career homer No. 500 off the bat of Boston Red Sox masher Manny Ramirez and never thought twice about handing the ball - worth at least $10,000 - to the future Hall of Famer.
"The emotion washed over me," Woo told The Post yesterday.
"You hear about the big money that some of these baseballs go for, but this was Manny's accomplishment. Being a big baseball fan, this just felt like the right thing to do."
Woo, 40, a native of Nahant, Mass., had planned for weeks to visit his brother Jason in Maryland, and watch their beloved Red Sox play the Orioles in Baltimore on Saturday night.
"The ball hit me over my collar bone. I trapped it and my brother covered me up," said Woo, who took a pummeling from fellow bleacher bums eager to grab the milestone homer ball.
Woo, a former Navy SEAL who has lived in New York for the past five years, joked that his military training came in handy.
"I think that [Navy training] taught me how to take a punch or two," quipped Woo.
The Red Sox rewarded Woo and his brother with prime seats to yesterday's game, following a post-game trip Saturday to the clubhouse, where they formally handed Ramirez the ball.
"These guys were genuinely great people, and they made me feel special," Woo said. "It was an experience of a lifetime."
While Woo couldn't put a price tag on his magical Red Sox moment, a professional sports collector estimated that he easily gave away a five-digit payday.
Ramirez, a Washington Heights native, pledged he'd take Woo's gift and pay it forward - by auctioning the ball and giving the proceeds to a hospital charity.
"On the low end, it's worth at least $10,000, $15,000," said Sean Mahoney, vice president of Steiner Collectibles.
"On the high end, who knows, especially if it's going to charity."
Monday, June 2, 2008
The real love of the game......
Posted by Marie Marsicano at 11:12:00 AM
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3 comments:
By all means, we all know I bleed and wear Yankee Pin Stripes, we also know I'm not a Red Sox fan at all. In saying this there is no bigger rivalry in any sports than the one created that has been created over the years by the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. Over the recent years I've taken a back seat to the Redsox, I've grown to respect and admire the red sox players, coaching staff, front office, etc. I say this because I never thought much of YOUR BOY Manny!! I think he plays very nonchalantly with an "I don't care" attitude.
Well that all ended last year during the play-offs when Manny said "it's not the end of the world if we loose, we'll come back next year". Now we have this!
Taking two words out of your Blog title, this makes Manny, A TRUE PROFESSIONAL!! He came from nothing, and is giving everything back.
I often put Manny in the same catagory as Barry Bonds - NOT ANY MORE!!
Thanks for all your giving and care Manny Ramirez, for you are a True Professional!!
I have to say I have never, ever thought of Barry Bonds and Manny Ramirez as being alike. While Manny may "keep it real" in that it is not the end of the world if the lose he has always been personable and like by his teammates - which is a lot more than we can say about Barry.
The comparision is directed at the nonchalant play - nothing else!
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