When a player hits a home run during a game, it is pretty much an open-and-closed story. It is hit, those on base at the time – if any – and the batter who hit score, the run(s) are tallied and fans are either elated if it was hit by their team or devastated if it was hit by the opposing team – and that is pretty much that.

But for that one lucky fan who ends up with the ball – especially one from the home team – that story and memory will last a lifetime.

There is noting like getting an actual live-game home run ball, especially if it was hit by 2016 NL Rookie of the Year Corey Seager and you are fortunate enough to get it signed, as Tim Cervenka did on April 16, 2016. (Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Over the years, there have been countless stories written about famous home run balls – stories such as Babe Ruth‘s record-setting 714th home run ball, which was donated to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 1948 by Pittsburgh resident Paul DeOrio; and Hank Aaron‘s 755th home run ball, which was purchased by investor Andrew Knuth in 1999 for $650,000 and is currently kept at an undisclosed location; and Barry Bonds‘ 756th home run ball that was initially purchased by prominent New York fashion designer Marc Ecko for $752,467 and intentionally defaced with an asterisk before he, too, donated it to the Hall of Fame in 2008.

After paying $752,467 for Barry Bonds’ 756th career home run ball, New York fashion designer Marc Ecko intentionally defaced the historic ball with and asterisk before donating it to the Hall of Fame.
(Photo credit – Ron Cervenka)

Yet while many milestone home run balls caught (or scooped up) by fans are often returned to the player that slugged them  – usually at the encouragement of stadium officials and often times for some type of bounty – a good many do not. The irony about balls that are kept by fans who choose not to give them back is that aside from that brief moment in time (and, of course, that memory and story of a lifetime), the ball itself loses all of its monetary collection value (other than its $18 value as an official major league baseball); this because once it leaves the ballpark, it is impossible to verify its authenticity (or provenance, as baseball memorabilia collectors call it) as the actual home run ball.

But for the average or even the avid baseball fan, getting a non-milestone home run ball is a pretty big deal and, for the most part, they couldn’t care less about the collector’s value of their prize. They also couldn’t care less about provenance or about having to prove the ball’s authenticity to anyone because they will, in all likelihood, never even consider selling it.

Lo and behold, this past Sunday during their second spring training game of 2017, three Dodger players slugged home runs in the eventual 10-8 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at Maryvale Ballpark, the spring training home of the Brewers. And while much of the attention went to the third of those three home runs by Dodgers number one prospect Cody Bellinger due to its estimated 500-plus foot distance and the fact that it actually bounced out of the stadium, the first of those three Dodger home runs was an estimated 460-footer that cleared the batter’s eye in center field off the bat of 28-year-old Dodgers utility infielder Rob Segedin. That ball was recovered by 53-year-old lifelong Dodger fan and longtime season ticket holder Keith Hupp of Hacienda Heights, California.

“The ball cleared the batters eye and landed in the center field equipment area,” Hupp told ThinkBlueLA. “I stayed on the berm next to this equipment area for the remainder of the game and kept an eye on the ball. After the game a groundskeeper tossed it up to me. That’s it, no magic to it at all.

“I am a huge Rob Segedin fan and actually purchased a 2016 game-used Rob Segedin spring training jersey at the Art of the Game kiosk at Dodger Stadium during the 2016 season,” added Hupp. “The ball will make a nice addition to my collection next to the jersey.”

As most fans know – including Hupp – there is no better time or place to get player autographs than during spring training. Armed with this knowledge, the retired South Gate Police Department captain brought his newly acquired trophy with him to Camelback Ranch the following morning in hopes of getting Segedin to sign it for him.

“After the Dodgers workout on Monday morning, I saw Rob as he was heading back to the clubhouse. I told him that I ended up getting his home run ball from the day before and asked him if he would sign it for me, which he did. He is a very nice guy and signed autographs for each of the 15 or so fans around me that wanted his autograph.”

Hupp proudly shows off his Rob Segedin home run ball shortly after getting it and shortly after Rob signed it for him. (Photos courtesy of Keith Hupp)

Hupp admits that he really would have loved to have gotten Bellinger’s home run ball and said that he made a valiant effort to get it.

“I saw Bellinger’s ball right off the bat – literally – and ran full speed towards the area in right field where I thought it would land,” said Hupp. “I couldn’t take a direct route due to all the fans on the grass berm. The ball completely cleared the berm and hit a table next to a beer stand and bounced out of the stadium on one bounce. It came to rest against a fence next to the Brewers’ practice field where an employee picked it up and began walked over towards me with it but then saw a young boy and gave the ball to him.

“The kid really didn’t know the importance of what he had so I spoke with his dad and told him that Cody Bellinger is going to be an All-Star player,” Hupp added. “I suggested to him that he should try to get Bellinger to sign it for him but before long, I saw the kid tossing the ball around and saw it hit the concrete walkway several times. If only he knew what he was tossing around.

“Being an old man, I immediately put my Segedin ball in a baseball cube to keep from dinging it up and only took it out for Rob to sign for me and immediately put it back in the cube afterwards,” Hupp said.

Even though Hupp missed out on the Bellinger home run ball and also that of Dodgers outfield prospect Alex Verdugo, he is both excited and grateful to get the Segedin ball. He also vividly recalls what Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully used to preach to youngsters who were fortunate enough to get a ball during a game.

“Whatever you do, do not put that ball in a sock drawer and forget about it,” Scully would say. “Take it outside and play with it as often as you can.”