Yankees Fan Randy Kearns Returns A-Rod's Record-Tying Grand Slam Ball; Would You?
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Yankees fan Randy Kearns sure picked the right game -- and the right seat -- to watch his favorite team for the first time.
Kearns made the long trip to Atlanta from Asheboro, N.C., and ended up with a piece of MLB history in his hands when New York slugger Alex Rodriguez tied Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig atop the all-time grand slams list with No. 23.
"This was the first time I've ever seen them," Kearns said after the Yankees' 6-4 win over the Braves. "It was worth the drive."
The 15-year-old, in attendance with his mother and brother, caught the eighth-inning blast with his Yankees cap. When approached by a team official, he agreed to give the historic ball back to A-Rod in exchange for a meet-and-greet.
Rodriguez said he would also give the young fan a package of bats, balls and a jersey.
Kearns' swap was reminiscent of Christian Lopez, the Yankees fan who famously returned Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit ball last July instead of selling it to the highest bidder.
"I didn't know how big of a deal it was," said Kearns, according to the New York Daily News. "I thought, 'It would be cool to give it back to him.'"
But some fans would have thought twice before giving up the potential big-money prize. When posed with the scenario on Twitter, one person responded, "For a price I would!"
Another wrote: "It's just a record-tying ball, record-breaking will take a lot to get back."
For others -- like the fan who responded, "No, no, no, no, no, no, NOOOOOOOOO!" -- it wouldn't even be up for debate.
"I wanna catch ARODS next Grand slam ... i wont be so nice as the kid who returned it for nothing..#justsayin," tweeted another Bronx backer.
Would you give back a piece of sports history, keep it or sell it? Be heard in the comments below...
