*  *  *  *  UPDATED: Tuesday, September 5, 2017 at 7:00 pm PT  *  *  *  *  

To this day it is still one of baseball’s greatest unsolved mysteries. What ever happened to Kirk Gibson‘s historic home run ball from game-1 of the 1988 World Series? You know, the home run that many still consider the greatest home run in baseball history. The one that Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully immortalized with his epic quote “In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!” Although there is widespread speculation and rumors that the famed Gibson ball is still sitting safely in a ball cube somewhere (probably in the greater Los Angeles area), it remains one of baseball’s greatest unsolved mysteries.

In the first game of Saturday’s day-night doubleheader against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park, Dodgers rookie phenom (and likely 2017 National League Rookie of the Year) Cody Bellinger hit his 35th home run of the season to tie Hall of Fame catcher Mike Piazza for the Dodgers all-time single-season rookie home run record. And while this was certainly historic in its own right, that home run ball pales in comparison to Gibby’s historic home run ball.

But what about Bellinger’s record-breaking 36th home run, which he hit the following afternoon off of Padres closer Brad Hand in the top of the ninth inning? Would that home run ball be more significant or perhaps even more valuable than the Gibson home run ball? I will leave the answer to that question entirely up to you.

But what if the person who ended up with Bellinger’s record-tying 35th home run ball also ended up with his 36th? Would this tilt the home-run-ball-value-scale in Bellinger’s favor? As improbable and impossible as this may seem, it actually happened.

Fifty-four-year-old livelong Dodger fan Keith Hupp of San Gabriel, California is an avid baseball memorabilia collector. Not a memorabilia seller, a memorabilia collector. He owns what is arguably one of the most unique collections in baseball history – a collection of press pass pins which were once given to members of the press corps for every World Series to help security personnel readily identify those who belonged in the press box, clubhouse and on the field during baseball’s annual Fall Classic. Like I said, a unique and undoubtedly irreplaceable memorabilia collection that is probably worth tens of thousands of dollars – or more.

On Saturday afternoon, Hupp, a retired police captain from the South Gate Police Department a short 14 miles from Dodger Stadium, got Bellinger’s 35th home run ball of the season. No, he didn’t actually catch it, but he immediately purchased it from the guy who did, literally within seconds of the ball landing. In fact, if you look closely at the replay of the ball landing deep into the right field bleachers of Petco Park, you can actually see Hupp trying to catch the ball and then immediately contacting the guy who ended up with it.

“I missed catching Bellinger’s record-tying ball by about eight feet,” Hupp said. “I immediately contacted the guy who got it and asked him if he wanted to sell it. I’m guessing that he had no idea it was the home run that tied Piazza’s record because he immediately said ‘How much?’ I said ‘How about $300 and he said ‘Sold,’ and that was that.”

Immediately after the transaction took place and right there on the spot, Hupp had the guy sign a written affidavit (with witnesses) to validate that the ball was the real deal. This is extremely crucial because official memorabilia authenticators will not authenticate a ball once it lands in the stands, without exception – this because of the ease in which the original ball could be what is often referred to as “a pocket switch” with a substitute ball.

But wait, there’s more!

As noted, Bellinger broke Piazza’s record when he hit his 36th home run of the season during Sunday’s series finally against the Padres and it was déjà vu all over again for Keith Hupp. Just as he had done the day before, Hupp had purchased a ticket in the right field bleachers for the sole purpose of trying to get Bellinger’s record-tying and eventually record-breaking home run balls … and he did.

“I didn’t just stumble into what happened this weekend. I had every intention of trying to get those record-tying and record-setting balls,” Hupp said. “I wanted to catch them and did my best. I was within eight feet of number 35 and four feet of number 36.”

Just as he had done the day before on number 35, Hupp immediately contacted the guy who actually caught number 36.

“Everyone around the guy leaped for the ball to try to catch it, but he stayed seated,” said Hupp. “It went through all of their hands and right into his hands. It never even touched the ground.

“I asked him if he would be willing to sell it and the very first thing the guy said was ‘It’s the record-breaking ball, right?’ added Hupp. “I was devastated. I could see that he was a serious Dodger fan and my first thought was that there was no way that he would sell such a historic ball.”

But it’s what they guy said next that made Hupp realize that his long-sought-after dream and well-planned-out trip to San Diego, and his previous trips to Detroit, Pittsburgh and Arizona, had not been in vain.

“The guy told me that he had just been laid off work and needed money to pay his rent,” Hupp said. “I asked him how much he wanted for the ball and he said ‘How about $500?’ This time it was me who said ‘sold’ and I paid him right then and right there. It was a dream come true for me and it obviously helped him out too.”

Hupp did the affidavit thing again and left the ballpark a few minutes later when the game ended – unfortunately in a 6-4 Dodgers loss.

Ironically, the SportsNet LA cameras caught Hupp’s transaction for number 36 going down. In fact, SNLA broadcasters John Hartung and Nomar Garciaparra kidded about ‘winning a bet,’ as the transaction was taking place. Moments later, Hupp and the guy were seen taking a selfie, with both of them visibly very happy.

Lifelong Dodger fan and memorabilia collector Keith Hupp takes a selfie of himself and the guy who caught (and sold) Bellinger’s record-setting 36th home run ball to him. (Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)

The other side of the selfie.
(Photo courtesy of Keith Hupp)

Just so there is no misunderstanding and to set aside any creepy thoughts, Keith Hupp is a huge Cody Bellinger fan (as if you couldn’t tell).

“I have followed Cody through the minor leagues, the Arizona Fall League and through his rookie season and have been trying to catch one of his home run balls all along,” Hupp said. “In fact, during one his spring training home runs at Maryvale Ballpark, I was seen on the video running across the grass berm chasing after it … until it bounced completely out of the stadium, that is.

“I’ve put a lot of effort into this. I get right field seats solely because of Cody Bellinger at the away games that I go to, and that is almost every road trip,” Hupp added. “I have been trying to get one of his home run balls this entire season, but to no avail. Mark my words, this kid is going to end up in Cooperstown some day.”

On Sunday afternoon, Bellinger etched his name even further into Dodgers history when he hit his 36th home run of the season – most ever by a Dodger rookie – to surpass former Dodgers catcher and Hall of Famer Mike Piazza. (Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)

But the story doesn’t end here. In fact, there is a very interesting twist to it.

Although both number 35 and 36 are currently secured in ball cubes in an undisclosed location (along with the signed affidavits for both), Keith Hupp doesn’t plan to keep them. For as crazy as this sounds, and it sounds very crazy, he wants to give both balls back to Cody Bellinger. Like I said, crazy.

Or is it?

“Both of these balls mean a great deal to me but they obviously mean a lot more to Cody and his family,” Hupp said. “After getting number 35, Cody’s mom Jennifer actually came out to the right field seats looking for the person who ended up with the ball. The ushers directed her to me and she asked me for my name, email address and cellphone number, which I gave to her. She then told me that she would ask someone from the Dodgers organization to contact me about working out some kind of a deal to get the ball back to give to her son.

“A short while later I received a call from a representative from the Dodgers PR Department asking me what I would want to get the ball back. I told him that I really hadn’t even considered this but would like some time to think about it,” Hupp added. “The guy said that he would call me back soon, but I haven’t heard back from them after a short conversation when they learned that I had number 36 too.”

But perhaps the biggest irony of all is that until now, 54-year-old retired South Gate police captain and lifelong Dodger fan Keith Hupp from San Gabriel, California has never – not once – ever purchased a home run baseball, historic or otherwise.

Sounds like money well spent to me.

  *  *  *  *  UPDATED: Tuesday, September 5, 2017 at 7:00 pm PT  *  *  *  *  

Just as he said he would, Keith Hupp will give Cody Bellinger his record-tying 35th and his record-breaking 36th home run balls back prior to Friday night’s game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium.