Mike Nickeas--Story of the His 1st HR Ball

[bmfc1]

When I started reading this, I was annoyed at the "ball hawk" who takes away BP balls from little kids (and me). That went away with the details of the story and the interesting behind-the-scenes pictures. At the end, I was a Nickeas fan (I love what he wrote on the bat).

http://snaggingbaseballs.mlblogs.com/2011/04/23/42111-at-citi-field/

[Ceetar]

been following him for a while, he's grown out of the 'all for me' type attitude and donates per-ball to charity and what not now, and usually helps out kids or gives a ball away.

Little kids have it so easy though. bring a glove and pay attention and you're destined for balls.

good story though.

[TransMonk]

Great story!

[seawolf17]

It is a nice story. Hample's still a douche.

[Gwreck]

All I needed to know about Hample is that he was the guy who spent the final game at Shea trying to catch home run balls (he got Beltran's) but then proceeded back into the stadium, changed into a Marlins jersey, and tried to get Marlins players to throw him balls/equipment after the game ended.

[Guest Edgy DC]

"So, would you like an autographed bat?"

"Sure, I guess, but what I was really hoping for was that you could introduce me to Squinty."

"Squinty?"

"Yeah, you know, your wife's bridesmaid --- the one in between her and Curly."

"Yeah, um..."

"Listen, am I keeping you? Do you have a minute to talk?"

"Actually, um, not really."

"My friends all said they'd go for Blondie, but me and Jake were all..."

"I really have to go. Got a bus to catch and..."

"Wait, this isn't a getaway day."

"And you really have to go."

__________

He labeled this as a shot of Terry Collins, but the real money is capturing the Hairstons.

[G-Fafif]

I went from "what a self-absorbed jerk" to rooting for the guy by the end. Also interesting to know there's such a phalanx and process to Met security. Good for Hample (whom I agree comes across as uberdouchey generally) not taking "that's not gonna happen" as definitive Met law, which I assume gets made up on the fly.

It's always jarring and often funny to see the players' kids, easily identifiable because they're the only HAIRSTON 12s in the house. I'll never forget the kids I saw in the family section in 1998, each wearing "WE'RE McCRAZY!" t-shirts. They must have been real proud of their dad Dennis Cook.

Edited April 27, 2011 by Guest

[Ceetar]

yeah, I commented as much. The Hairstons are definitely the more interesting part of that photo. In fact, those may be the only two kids Hairston jerseys the Mets have 'sold'.

[Guest Edgy DC]

Scott's wife, Scott, Jerry, Jerry's wife, Jerry's other wife, and their shoeless kids.

[Guest themetfairy]

Kids may have it easier, but Nickeas is still a good guy.

Here he is with not-so-small-anymore MK last August, shortly before he was called up to the bigs -

[metirish]

Can someone give a quick synopsis of the story as I can't access it at work....

some guy is an asshole and then he's not an asshole.....

[Ceetar]

metirish wrote: Can someone give a quick synopsis of the story as I can't access it at work.... some guy is an asshole and then he's not an asshole.....

Hample is a baseball collector, goes around to stadiums and tries to get BP home runs and players to toss him balls and catch fouls and HRs during the game. Catches Nickeas' first home run and his request is to be able to give it to him personally. Does so. chats with Nickeas. Gets a signed bat out of it.

[metirish]

Is there not a charity involved?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

He's definitely got a whiff of Weissman to him. Always reminding you of his many great adventures.

In a general sense, it's kind of cool that somebody actually chose something so weird to be good at. I've been to a billion games and never got a foul ball directly.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I was at [crossout:s3x42908]Shea[/crossout:s3x42908] Citi Field the other day, and we were eating our Shake Shack burgers before the game in the bullpen picnic area (where the Apple was, back in 2009) and a guy working in the bullpen got my attention and tossed me a used ball that he picked up from the ground. (The first time, in 40 years, that I ever got a free baseball at a game!) I noticed that the ball had Bud Selig's signature on it, but the word "PRACTICE" was printed, in small lettering, under the MLB logo.

I wasn't aware that they did this, but I suppose it makes sense. It allows them to differentiate actual game-used balls from those used in the bullpen or in batting practice. I assume, then, that the PRACTICE ball has less value. I'm surprised that he'd go to the effort to get non-game balls. He must figure that quantity will make up for quality. Or something. I no longer really understand the collector market, if I ever did.

[Ceetar]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I was at [crossout]Shea[/crossout] Citi Field the other day, and we were eating our Shake Shack burgers before the game in the bullpen picnic area (where the Apple was, back in 2009) and a guy working in the bullpen got my attention and tossed me a used ball that he picked up from the ground. (The first time, in 40 years, that I ever got a free baseball at a game!) I noticed that the ball had Bud Selig's signature on it, but the word "PRACTICE" was printed, in small lettering, under the MLB logo. I wasn't aware that they did this, but I suppose it makes sense. It allows them to differentiate actual game-used balls from those used in the bullpen or in batting practice. I assume, then, that the PRACTICE ball has less value. I'm surprised that he'd go to the effort to get non-game balls. He must figure that quantity will make up for quality. Or something. I no longer really understand the collector market, if I ever did.

his collector market isn't about worth anyway. From what I recall from his blog some teams are stingier than others, some mark them differently.


It's kind of interesting how these balls get around though. You can find All-Star leftover balls among random teams BP workouts.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Nice story. Doesn't really change my opinion of Hample... but hey, he's doing less harm to the world than, say, your average I-banker. (And he's less obnoxious than that Happy Youngster sphincter-with-legs.)

[Fman99]

One of the employees at the ST Nats/Mets game we went to in Florida presented Fgirl with a foul ball (much to Fboy's dismay). I have caught two of them at the local AAA park.

[Lefty Specialist]

In 2001, we were in seats by the foul pole at Shea early in the year and we caught a batting practice ball that turned out to be a 2000 World Series ball. I guess they had plenty extra.

I saw Hample in action once and he had a tendency to piss off little kids (including my son) who just wanted to get ONE baseball, not 4000. Didn't know who he was until a couple of years later when somebody did a piece on him, and my wife and I looked at each other and she said, "so that was the jerk snagging balls that day".

[soupcan]

One of the employees at the ST Nats/Mets game we went to in Florida presented Fgirl with a foul ball (much to Fboy's dismay). I have caught two of them at the local AAA park.

Sorry sucker, AAA games don't count.

I've gotten exactly ONE foul ball in my years of attending MAJOR LEAGUE games.

This one:

[G-Fafif]

One of the employees at the ST Nats/Mets game we went to in Florida presented Fgirl with a foul ball (much to Fboy's dismay). I have caught two of them at the local AAA park. Sorry sucker, AAA games don't count. I've gotten exactly ONE foul ball in my years of attending MAJOR LEAGUE games. This one:

I was at that game. It was terrible, per the score. And I didn't get a ball.

[Guest themetfairy]

D-Dad caught the ball on the right on the second to last game of the 2009 season. Truth be told, he interfered with the foul ball in play, snatching the ball out of Hunter Pence's reach and extending Jeff Francoeur's at bat. The umps might have cared more if the meaningless game wasn't already in the 8th inning after a lengthy rain delay - by that time, everyone just wanted to go home.

Angel Pagan tossed the ball on the left to D-Dad before the Friday night game of Labor Day Weekend 2009. G-Fafif told the story here.

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

Frank Thomas tossed me a game ball once!

http://metsguyinmichigan.blogspot.com/2005/06/frank-thomas-and-magical-m_111912087774598565.html

[soupcan]

Well if we're going to talk about coaches tossing us balls - Bill Robinson threw me this one post-game, walking off the field..

[Guest Edgy DC]

themetfairy wrote:

That just underscores the lack of foul territory at Citifield, relative to Shea. Citi isn't big enough to contain a giant baseball, if necessary, without crushing hundreds (perhaps thousands) fans.

[Farmer Ted]

Edgy tried blocking me out of a Guy Conti fan ball toss once. He failed.