Doug Mientkiewicz not giving up the ball

[MrRant 0]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-w...p&type=lgns

 

BOSTON (AP) -- The Red Sox have the title. Now they want the ball.

 

Backup first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz caught the ball for the final out of the World Series, ending Boston's 86-year championship drought.

 

He then put the souvenir in a safe deposit box. Only one problem: The Red Sox say the ball should be in their hands.

 

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The player who didn't join the team until July 31 still wants to keep it but recognizes its meaning to the team's passionate rooters -- a prize that completed a four-game sweep of St. Louis and ended the misery.

 

``Of course I want Red Sox fans to see the ball,'' Mientkiewicz said in a call he made to WEEI radio. ``The main reason why I hung on to the darn thing is because I want people to see it.''

 

So does Red Sox president Larry Lucchino, and he planned to ask Mientkiewicz to give it to the team.

 

``We want it to be part of Red Sox archives or museums so it can be shared with the fans,'' Lucchino told The Boston Globe. ``We would hope he would understand the historical nature of it.''

 

Lucchino and Henry did not return e-mails requesting comment. Messages left at the homes of Mientkiewicz and his father were not returned and a woman who came to the door at his Coral Gables, Fla., house said he wasn't there.

 

Mientkiewicz said Friday he had a ``nice conversation'' with team owner John Henry.

 

In an era rife with memorabilia sellers and collectors -- the New England Patriots once sold jars of dirt for $10 from Foxboro Stadium before it was torn down after the 2001 season -- such an historic baseball might command hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more.

 

After all, on the very day Mientkiewicz squeezed the final out in his glove, the ball Barry Bonds hit for his 700th home run brought a top bid of $804,129 after a 10-day online auction.

 

Mientkiewicz said the ball her caught was ``my retirement fund,'' the Globe reported. On Friday, he said he was kidding.

 

``If Mr. Lucchino wants to talk to me about the ball personally, he has my phone number. He can call me,'' Mientkiewicz said on WEEI.

 

Mientkiewicz, unhappy as a part-time player last season, is set to make $3.75 million in the final year of his two-year contract. The team has an option to renew it at $4 million for 2006 but has said it intends to trade Mientkiewicz or its other first baseman, Kevin Millar, before spring training.

 

Mike Martin coached Mientkiewicz at Florida State from 1993-95 and is convinced the player won't sell the ball for personal gain.

 

``There's not a selfish bone in the guy's body,'' said Martin, in his 26th year as head coach of the Seminoles. ``He was one of the most popular players to ever play here. He also was a guy who was a fan favorite in Minnesota. He's also very community oriented and I'm sure that's the case in the city of Boston.''

 

The Red Sox obtained the slick-fielding Mientkiewicz in a trade deadline deal with the Twins. He was a late-inning replacement in each of the four World Series games after being a starter for the previous three seasons.

 

Boston led 3-0 in Game 4 in St. Louis when Mientkiewicz entered in the bottom of the seventh. He didn't handle the ball until there were two outs in the ninth and shortstop Edgar Renteria grounded it back to the mound. Pitcher Keith Foulke trotted toward first and underhanded it to Mientkiewicz.

 

With the ball in his grasp, Mientkiewicz raised his right index finger in triumph and rushed to the pile of celebrating players. In the locker room, he gave the ball to his wife, Jodi, who put it in her purse then brought it to Fenway Park the next day, where it was authenticated by major league baseball officials.

 

So who owns it?

 

``This is a gray area as to what players think they can take with them,'' Lucchino said.

 

Carmine Tiso, spokesman for MLB, told the Globe that Mientkiewicz owns the baseball. Joe Januszewski, Red Sox director of corporate partnerships, said he thinks the team owns it.

 

And the bat?

 

Renteria still has it and could bring it with him to Fenway after he signed with the Red Sox as a free agent.

 

``A professional baseball player is like a golfer,'' said Jeffrey Lane, Renteria's agent. ``They know what their five-iron feels like.''

 

Back in 1918, when the Red Sox won their previous World Series title, there was another dispute. The sixth and final game was delayed because of a debate over how much of the gate receipts players would get. But the game went on and Boston beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1.

 

The last out was another grounder that second baseman Dave Shean threw to first baseman Stuffy McInnis. The next-to-last out? A fly ball to Red Sox left fielder Babe Ruth, who was sold to the New York Yankees in 1920.

 

For the first time since then, the Red Sox are champions so Mientkiewicz knows the importance of the ball he has locked away.

 

``It belongs in the stadium where we brought it home to, and if they would like to see it then I'd be more than happy to,'' he said. ``That's part of history and I think people have waited long enough. They deserve to see it.''

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

I don't see a big problem with Mientkiewicz keeping the ball. I think its Luccino who's making a big deal out of this. Gary Carter kept the '86 World Series winning ball, and no one makes a big deal of it. As long as Mientkiewicz doesn't sell it at auction to Todd Macfarlane, its not a big deal.

[2GOLD 0]

I don't see a big problem with Mientkiewicz keeping the ball. I think its Luccino who's making a big deal out of this. Gary Carter kept the '86 World Series winning ball, and no one makes a big deal of it. As long as Mientkiewicz doesn't sell it at auction to Todd Macfarlane, its not a big deal.

 

I could totally see him signing with the Yankees someday and giving the ball to George. Just to piss off the Red Sox fans even more.

[Guest The Winter Of My Discontent]

I'd accept Doug keeping it had he done anything remotely significant in the series.

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

I don't like how Luccino is trying to paint Mientkiewicz (whew) as some villian.

 

If anything he should be glad he kept the ball and didn't act irrationally and throw it to someone in the crowd or leave it on the field for some grounds crewsman to obtain.

 

If it's in a safe place for now; it's better then being in the hands of a greedy collector.

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

If anything, Doug is smart. He can use it as a bargaining tool down the line if he felt so inclined.

[Precious Roy 0]

Hell yeah, he should hold em up for some rediculous ammount of money or a huge contract or something, but the "give the ball to George" idea is good too

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

I wouldn't put it past George to offer Doug 19.18 million dollars for the ball.

[geniusMoment 0]

I don't see a big problem with Mientkiewicz keeping the ball. I think its Luccino who's making a big deal out of this. Gary Carter kept the '86 World Series winning ball, and no one makes a big deal of it. As long as Mientkiewicz doesn't sell it at auction to Todd Macfarlane, its not a big deal.

Todd Macfarlane went bankrupt a couple of months ago.

[iliketurtles 0]

I don't see the big deal either. Mientkiewicz might as well keep it.

 

Don't be surprised to hear about how Doug Mientkiewicz mysteriously dissapears one day.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Maybe he could sell it to Seth McFarlane.

[Vern Gagne 0]

I'd accept Doug keeping it had he done anything remotely significant in the series.

Pretty much sums it up for me. Mientkiewicz was pretty much the 25th man on the roster. A defensive replacement, for christ sakes. He didn't do anything to keep the ball.

[The Czech Republic 0]

25th? Nah, he was more important than Ramiro Mendoza.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Ok, 23 or 24th. The Red Sox really didn't need him.

[iliketurtles 0]

25th? Nah, he was more important than Ramiro Mendoza.

Mendoza was actually taken off the roster for Youklious during the Yankees series.

 

So I'd say Mientkewicz was probably around 22-23...but I see the point.

 

I would be a different story if say Ortiz was still at first base.

[Cartman 0]

He never said he wouldn't let the Red Sox put the ball on display somewhere, but ownership of the ball is his legally and there's nothing at all wrong with what he is doing. Blame the negative spins on this story on a certain disgusting writer from the Boston Herald. The same retarded writer that used the whole Curse bullshit to make himself famous. Dan Shaughnessy will use anything to make headlines, especially negative ones, so dont take his writing seriously...nobody in Boston ever does anymore either.

 

Here is the transcript from WEEI I found on another board.

 

DA: Dale Arnold

 

BN: Bob Neumier(sp?)

 

DM: Menitkiewicz

 

CHB: Shaughnessy

 

 

 

 

 

BN: Let’s talk about the ball, your feelings, your plans on what to do with it

 

DM: (laughing) First of all I thought Foulkie wasn’t gonna throw it, and I was thinking “Hey, I want to be on the cover of SI too”. Derek had pitched a good game, and I’d given him the ball from the ALCS and I was gonna do that again and then I thought “this is crazy, I’m a baseball buff, it’s something I wanna hang on to” No one’s ever come up and asked me about the ball since then.

 

DA: After the World Series, on the field, Bob Lobel asked you about the ball on live TV, and you said “it’s in my glove and it’s staying there” So what happened on the (CHB) call?

 

DM: You’re right about that interview after the series. On the phone with this guy, I was laughing as saying things, and so was the other guy (CHB), you know, I thought it was a gonna be a good, light-hearted article. I figured he knew I was joking around about my kids at FSU, etc, you know, all in jest. Then I turn around and see (how it’s been portrayed...)

 

BN: Do you have plans to sell the baseball?

 

DM: No, or certainly not in the near future. I mean I’d be happy to loan it out, it’s a part of history, that’s why I had it authenticated. It’s crazy, we should still be celebrating, and this is what’s on the front page?

 

DA: Players throughout time have always held onto balls, and they’ve loaned them out, so what’s the big fuss about here?

 

DM: That’s what I thought. If they want to show it to fans, I’d be happy to. In fact, I’d show it off myself. I was furious when I came home after lifting weights, and got all these messages, people calling my mom, my sister. It’s out of control.

 

BN: Has anyone from MLB or the HOF asked about the ball?

 

DM: Nobody. I mean, I’ve had two offers for it. And I heard form Mr. Henry today, though that’ll remain private. But nothing from the hall of fame or MLB before the article. I want the fans to see it. I kept it so that it’s in a player’s hands, not in some person’s who’s going to run away with it and never see it again.

 

DA: Earlier Theo was on and said “Both you and Millar deserve to start, and he wants to make sure you do” Which implies that one of you will soon be traded, but he added he thinks Delgado needs to sign somewhere first to settle things out in the market. Do you want to play here and start?

 

DM: Of course. Defending the title. It’s a dream job. My personal year was the wosrt I ever had, and I want to prove to fans I can do the job and show the kind of player I am. Thing is I love Kevin, he’s one of the best teammates I ever had, so it’s a tough situtation.

 

BN: Doug I want to read a quote from LL: “We’re going to make a request for him to return it to us...etc etc” Did John Henry make that request?

 

DM: (doesn’t answer the question directly) Of course I want fans to see the ball, that’s the main reason I held on to it. To me, it belongs in the stadium we brought it home to, not in the hall of fame lost with a hundred other things... I just wanted to clear the air... We have a helluva team coming back, and I’d look forward to playing in Boston in 2005.

[Mole 0]

After all, on the very day Mientkiewicz squeezed the final out in his glove, the ball Barry Bonds hit for his 700th home run brought a top bid of $804,129 after a 10-day online auction.

I could see the BoSox WS ball going for over $1,000,000.

 

I would be a different story if say Ortiz was still at first base.

 

Ortiz wouldn't have gotten to first base in time to catch the ball, lazy fuck.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

Nah, he would've. He just wouldn't have caught it.

[EVIL~! alkeiper 0]

ESPN.com has a cute article up, citing legal experts and questioning whether Doug Mientkiewicz indeed may claim legal ownership of the baseball...

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=1972865

 

This is all well and good. However, if ESPN cared to DO THEIR FUCKING RESEARCH for once, they would find this article...

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/news/mlb...field&fext=.jsp

 

Specifically, this paragraph from the earlier article...

 

"Doug Mientkiewicz owns the baseball and we authenticated it," Carmine Tiso, a spokesman for Major League Baseball, told The Globe. "Anything beyond that would be between the Red Sox and Doug Mientkiewicz."

 

So MLB has come out and stated that Mientkiewicz owns the baseball. However, find two legal experts, and you can write yourself a story anyway!

[The Czech Republic 0]

I think the ball belongs in Cooperstown, personally.

[2GOLD 0]

I think the ball belongs to Doug's dog Sparkle.

[HarleyQuinn 0]

Besides, Cooperstown already has bats, gloves, and a bloody sock.