Ballhawks
Fans in Search of Milestone Homeruns
A hawk is a deadly bird of prey, with three specific anatomical features: strong grasping feet equipped with sharp talons, a hooked upper beak, and excellent binocular vision.
What is a Ballhawk?
In the more traditional sense, a ballhawk is an athlete who is skilled in catching, or intercepting, a ball (football, baseball, etc.).
A ballhawk is also a baseball fan who specifically tries to catch milestone home runs as MLB games. They may decide to keep the ball, or more often, they will demand a hefty ransom from the player who hit the ball in return for its safe return.
Hawks track player milestones and keep notes of where home run hitters tend to hit the most. The record-breaking balls make headlines, but it's the lesser-known milestones that the ballhawks make a killing on. By tracking players' home run totals and where they hit them, ballhawks snatch balls that most fans don't realize are valuable.
What are Some Examples of Ballhawks?
-After Mark McGwire hit his 70th home run in the 1998 season, Philip Ozersky, the man who caught it, got $3 million for it at auction
-Veteran "Ballhawk" John Witt has caught 4,932 baseballs at professional baseball games over the past 33 seasons. 3,799 of those are MLB baseballs (100 game HRs)
Ballhawking Lessons:
For $249, fans can spend the day with John Witt as he provides 1-on-1 ballhawking lessons. That includes tickets to the game, lessons, and he guarantees that the fan will go home with a ball, which could lead to autographs or memorabilia. He even offers a 100% money back guarantee if the fan, or he, fails to catch a ball during batting practice or during the game itself.
Currently he offers lessons at LA Angels Stadium or Dodgers Stadium, but he would be willing to travel to a city of the fans choice as long as his transportation and lodgings are paid in full.
How Do MLB Players Feel About Ballhawks
Some players are upset with the ways in which ballhawks conduct themselves. Many fans demand bats, jerseys, signed balls, and even cash. In 2008 when Carlos Gonzalez hit his first career home run, the fan who caught it demanded a jersey and two signed bats. When those were declined he asked for $10,000 which was also declined. The fan eventually returned the ball in exchange for a signed photo with Mr. Gonzalez.
In the past, when a player or team wanted a ball back, they'd find the fan who caught it and offer a handshake with a big leaguer and a different autographed ball in return. Team officials, however, say a boom in the sports-memorabilia business has caused fans who catch important balls to think they won the lottery.
Major League Baseball even employs two memorabilia experts in every stadium to authenticate milestone home runs and to avoid disputes between fans and teams.
Ballhawks Stop at Nothing for Baseballs
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