The guy caught both Lance Berkmans Grand slam ball, and Chris Burke's walk off home run ball. And returned them both to baseball with just some signed jerseys, seats for game 3 and lifetime passes to Cooperstown. In my opinion he got jobbed. LOL, grab the money dude, when can you ever have this opp again????? http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/playoffs2005/news/story?id=2191707 HOUSTON -- Shaun Dean only remembers facing one major-league pitcher in his life, back in Little League when he walked against Josh Beckett and stole second base. Shaun Dean (center) and his family got autographed jerseys from Roger Clemens and seats to Game 3 of the NLCS. Now, the lifelong Houston Astros fan is going into the Baseball Hall of Fame after catching two home run balls during a playoff game. Dean was in the second row of the left field stands for the Astros' 18-inning victory that ended the NL Division Series against Atlanta. He caught Lance Berkman's grand slam in the eighth inning, and then 10 innings later he snagged Chris Burke's homer that ended the longest game in postseason history. On Friday, Dean returned as a guest of the Astros and gave both balls to the Hall of Fame. The balls, along with a picture of Dean and his family, will be part of an exhibit that will be set up at Cooperstown after this year's postseason is completed. "As a baseball fan, you hope to catch a foul ball, get something once in your life," Dean said. "To be an Astros fan, be at the playoffs and catch both balls, it was an unreal experience." Dean never considered selling the balls. He had planned to display them on a shelf in his 3-year-old son's room decorated with sports memorabilia, including a signed picture of Don Larsen and Yogi Berra. "They would have just gone to his collection," Dean said. Instead, 3-year-old Tyler -- who initially appeared frightened -- and his dad got to meet Roger Clemens. They got their No. 22 jerseys signed by the star pitcher, who eventually got a high-five from the young boy, and spent a few minutes with Berkman and Burke. "It's a pretty cool story," Burke said. "What are the odds of Lance and I hitting the ball in the same spot. ... It's a cool thing he's giving the balls back." The Astros gave Dean's family tickets for Game 3 of the NL Championship Series Saturday against St. Louis. Instead of in the outfield, they will be sitting behind home plate. Hall of Fame representative Jeff Idelson, who was in Houston on Friday to accept the balls, said more than 111 million people attended major- and minor-league baseball games this season. "Think about trying to find anybody who caught two home run balls in the same game, and I don't think you can find anybody," Idelson said. "Put it in the context of the historic game played here, and it's really amazing. Shaun's gesture is the ultimate act of selflessness." Idelson also gave the family lifetime passes to the Hall of Fame and said they would be flown there next summer to see the balls exhibited. Dean, a comptroller for his father-in-law's construction company, caught the balls with a worn-out glove that his high school coach used to call "a trash can lid." "I never dreamed of anything like this," said Dean, 25. "It's beyond words."
I wouldn't have held out for money, but I would have asked for all sorts of autographed jerseys, bats, and balls.
yeah, i would have wanted to more stuff as well. I mean a Clemens autographed jersey is great, but they coulda at least gave him something signed by Berkman and Burke as well, or perhaps something from the whole team. And I dont think tickets to game 3 and 4 would have been too much to ask for.
I would have asked for a bat signed by the entire team, and tried to get individually signed bats from Clemens, Pettitte, Oswalt, Bagwell, Biggio, Berkman, and maybe Burke as well.
an autograph bat from a pitcher doesnt make sense. if i was that dude, i would ask for tickets to the home playoff games, and tell them to work with the Rockets to get me some 2005 All Star Saturday Night, and All Star Game Tickets.
I would have a tough time not keeping them for my self. Not to sell. Just because I am foul ball / homerun repellant. In the hundreds of baseball games I've been to in my life, I have only had to stand up 2 times for a ball that was in my general vicinity. It's not like I'm always sitting in the nosebleeders either. I'm talking on the wall down either base line. In the grass at the Dell Diamond. The area at MMP where the stands jut out towards the field...basically where 90% of the foul balls are hit at MMP...nothing. FREAKING BATTING PRACTICE STANDING ON THE WALL IN THE CRAWFORD BOXES! I actually feel worse for the people around me. They didn't do anything to deserve the luck I bring. Those poor kids with their gloves that will only catch a bag of peanuts. Sometimes I apologize in advance to those around me. That's one reason I try to never sit in the outfield for the Express, UT baseball, and definitely the Astros. I really want to sit in the Crawford Boxes, too.
I know. I would have at least asked for Clemens, Oswalt, Pettite, Bagwell, and Biggio all signing together. And then one ball that said, "You had the Astros by both balls, but let 'em go." Drayton.
