Catching Aaron Judges Next Home Run Ball Could Make You an Instant Millionaire

Table of Content

• Aaron Judge's record-breaking 62nd home run ball is fetching $1.2m after fan who rejected $3m offer
• Here's the fan who caught Judge's 62nd home run
• Watch: Fan who caught Aaron Judge’s 62nd home run ball gets full security detail
• Vintage baseball memorabilia hits big at auction
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• Chicago Cubs - Wrigley Field

Mark McGwire’s record-setting 70th home run ball from the 1998 season currently holds that title after selling at auction for $3.05m in 1999. Aaron Judge is on pace to make MLB history and if you’re lucky enough to catch one of his milestone home run balls, it could pay off big time. The statement was retracted after anger from fans and legislators but maintained that if the catcher returned the ball immediately, there would be no consequences. Sports Illustrated estimated that the ball is worth around $2 million, which could end up costing Youmans a fortune via a hefty tax payout, should he decide to sell.

After equaling Maris with his 61st in Toronto on September 28, Judge had stalled slightly and was running out of games to break the record in. It started with an opening bid of $1 million on November 29 and quickly rose to $1.15m in the first couple days. It also depends on how long Youmans keeps the ball before he decides to sell it. Should he decide to sell it, however, it might play out a bit differently. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.

Aaron Judge's record-breaking 62nd home run ball is fetching $1.2m after fan who rejected $3m offer

If the outfielder’s glove falls off, this means the outfielder failed to maintain possession of the baseball and the play is still a live ball. Is it a home run if you catch the ball and fall over the fence? If an outfielder catches the home run with one foot on or over the playing surface and maintains possession of the baseball then the batter is called out. However, if no part of the player is on or over the playing surface then the play is ruled a home run. The question of taxing baseballs came up in 1998 when Mark McGwire, who played first base for the St. Louis Cardinals, tied Roger Maris’ 1961 home run record. A sportswriter asked the IRS whether Mike Davidson, the fan who caught McGwire's record-tying 61st homer, was liable for tax.

Do you know why they ask if you are willing to sit in an exit row of a plane? Because some people panic in certain situations. The same rules should apply for the first row in a baseball game. If you cannot keep your composure when a ball is coming right at you, go sit in the back next to the toilet.

Here's the fan who caught Judge's 62nd home run

So if there are less than two outs and a baseball player leaves the field to make a catch, the play is first ruled a catch if the player keeps at least one foot on or over the playing area. Then the play is ruled a dead ball and the base runners are awarded the next base. There are two rules to consider when reviewing the scenario of a baseball player leaving the field to make a catch, and these rules apply for both home runs and foul balls. Steve Bartman may have also changed baseball history. Bartman was one of a host of fans down the left field line at Wrigley Field who tried to catch a foul ball in the eighth inning of the 2003 NLCS. Moises Alou thought he had a play on the ball and threw a tantrum when Bartman interfered.

If you have kids at home, go be that hero to your kids just the same as if you caught it. Don't feel the pressure of fans cajoling you to give the ball to a nearby squirt whose dad was too slow to get it for him. If I'm at a game without them and I catch a ball, I don't care if a family of four is next to me and one of the kids wants the ball.

Watch: Fan who caught Aaron Judge’s 62nd home run ball gets full security detail

"Glad to see AirBud hasn't lost his touch in retirement," @zenith041 kidded. "I was just sitting there like a good boy and then a ball came falling from the sky," @swimlessfishyttv teased. According to the video, the dog caught the ball way back in the stands. "Ever seen a dog catch a home run ball?" the video's text overlay reads. Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)One lucky fan, Dallas-based Cory Youmans, happened to catch the ball, and in doing so, gained a pricy piece of memorabilia. I’ve been using batting gloves in baseball since I was in Little League and I’ve always noticed that some gloves were a lot more comfortable than others, but I never really contemplated what made...

The 62nd ball, which would surpass the MLB record that stood from 1961 to 1998, could fetch anywhere from $500,000 to north of $5 million. It remained murky as to what the other options for the lucky catcher would be. A team will sometimes offer someone who catches an important ball a trade for other memorabilia, like signed jerseys and game-used balls. Cory Youmans — the fan who caught Aaron Judge’s 62nd home run ball, which is worth at least $2 million — is living his best life vacationing in Italy. "Lindor hits the home run. I see it coming and I guess my dad instincts took over," Chris Howland told MLB.com. Baseball Training World was created as an online solution to people’s baseball needs.

And if you do happen to snag a milestone baseball, there’s a big decision to be made. Do you keep it, sell it or give it back to the team? A recent video on TikTok is a solid argument why all dogs should be allowed at baseball games. The clip from @cbssports shows one lucky Golden Retriever catching a home run while at a Mets game.

Much like a player's first home run, a milestone ball is worth at least an autograph and a photo. Most balls of any real importance—500th, 600th or 700th home runs—should be worth a full season-ticket plan for a year, two or maybe more. Upon review, the umpires ruled the ball would have gone out either way, giving Ramirez the two-run homer that tied the game (the Marlins went on to win, 5-4). Even if the ball actually would have been off the fence, there's no way to know because that irresponsible fan helped the visiting team by catching the ball too early. Judge will be stepping up to the plate again tonight against the Toronto Blue Jays. So, if you’re in the stadium, get your glove ready.

Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Market data provided by Factset. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. "I don't know where it's at, so we'll see what happens with that. It'd be great to get it back, but that's a souvenir for a fan, so, you know, they made a great catch out there and they've got every right to it." The fan who jumped off was seemingly hoping for a dropped ball from above, which, really, isn't the worst plan in the world if the ball was that important to them.

The only way to avoid the IRS would be to give the ball to a charity, which under the tax codes would not have to pay a tax if it turned around and sold the ball for a profit. Judge, 30, is slated to become a free agent this offseason after he turned down an eight-year, $230.5 million offer from the Yankees before the season. With the home run, Judge set the AL record for home runs in a season, passing Roger Maris.