Red Sox first baseman won't give up ball gloved for last Series out

(01-07) 08:03 PST BOSTON (AP) --

Calling it "my retirement fund," Boston first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz stashed in his safe deposit box the ball used in the final out that sealed the Red Sox's first World Series championship in 86 years. Now, his boss wants it back.

"We want it to be part of Red Sox archives or museums so it can be shared with the fans," Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino told The Boston Globe on Thursday. "We would hope he would understand the historical nature of it."

Mientkiewicz, who raised the ball high in the air as Boston celebrated the victory over the St. Louis Cardinals, gave the ball to his wife, Jody, and they have stored it in a bank box.

Mientkiewicz couldn't be reached for comment. His agent, Greg Landry, did not immediately returned a message from The Associated Press on Friday. On Wednesday, Mientkiewicz left no doubt that he believes the ball belongs to him.

"I know this ball has a lot of sentimental value," Mientkiewicz said. "I hope I don't have to use it for the money. It would be cool if we have kids someday to have it stay in our family for a long time. But I can be bought. I'm thinking, there's four years at Florida State for one of my kids. At least."

Sales of historic baseballs have been lucrative. The ball Red Sox catcher Carlton Fisk banged off the foul pole in the 1975 World Series sold for $113,373. The ball Barry Bonds hit for his 73rd home run went for $450,000. The most expensive baseball of all time is Mark McGwire's 70th homer, which went for $3 million.

Mientkiewicz, who batted .215 for Boston and was used primarily as a late innings defensive replacement, said he thinks the Boston's World Series ball has more value than a home run ball.

"Those are important and all, don't get me wrong, but there are always going to be more home runs," he said. "This is something that took 86 years, and 86 years is a long time."

Carmine Tiso, spokesman for Major League Baseball, told the Globe that Mientkiewicz owns the baseball, though Joe Januszewski, Red Sox director of corporate partnerships, said he thinks the team owns it.

Good for him. Keep it. The way the BoSox piss away money than can buy it from him.

does he really need the money? give it back bitch.

he has just as much right to the ball as someone who catches a foul ball or a home run. i say keep it.

What a team player.

While I believe he should maintain control of the ball, he's really doing a disservice to himself by bringing up the whole "I can put my kid through school" thing. Here is his salary for the last 5 years:

$200K...$215K...$285K...$1.75 million...$2.8 million.

You know he's gonna make unbelievable money for the rest of his career (at least to the rest of us), so his kids' schooling shouldn't be an issue.

Yeah like the Red Sox wouldn't trade him in a second if a better opportunity came up.

At first, I thought this may have been an Onion article. I'm conflicted on this issue to be honest.

pissing money away? i'd say they've gone out of their way to avoid doing precisely that this offseason.

i have no earthly idea why an individual player in the modern MLB league, should feel obligated to surrender what could be a personal fortune to any team. he's not from here and he shouldn't have to act like he cares more about new england fans just because he made the final out.

KPH

I agree. It's his. He can do what he wants with it.

if the ball didnt leave the field of play, then i personally think it is still the property of the team and or MLB.

it's one thing ot mkae a claim on it for its historical value, but for financial reasons is petty.. (see his salaries from above0....kind of petty....

he should make nice, and the RedSox throw an extra year on his contract as a thank you

MLB already said it's his.

Why shouldn't the Cards be the owners than? It was on their field.

What a bitch.

he just should have kept his mouth shut.
no one is subtle anymore.

oh wow, i didn't realize he plays for boston.

that's pretty fucking dick...it should just go to the hall of fame.

i thought he was on the other team, which then i would be like, yeah, great, stick it to them.

for him to be on the team and not do it is complete disrespect to the organization and all of red sox nation.

that is to say, i love it.

the concept that someone should give away something of value for nothing is stupid. mlb says the ball is his, so he should definitely be compensated if it means that much to the sox. the stupidest thing i have ever seen is the kid on the grounds crew giving mcgwire the 62nd homerun ball. that moron gave away more free money than is ever going to fall from the sky for him again.

further, menky is hardly rich just because he made a couple million over the last few years. he loses at least 10% off the top to an agent and has a very short window to earn at a level that would impress anyone here. anyway, even if he were loaded, that ball is his.

the sox should get the ball if he's going to make asinine comments like this. oooh, hell is making hundreds of thousands of dollars and playing a game for a living. sign me up.

source

his income has nothing to do with it. he is paid what his employer feels he is worth. why does that indebt him to anyone. how does it enter into ethics?

why people care so much about player salaries is beyond me. those guys are very fortunate to make it to that level, but most professional ballplayers hardly make any money at all. pursuing baseball as a career is a major risk, and i admire those guys for taking it. i suppose you would rather team owners, who were rich to begin with, keep all the money that baseball generates. ever dollar a player owns is coming right out of The Man's pocket. I am all for it.

back to the issue at hand, no one here has to give personal possesions to his employer if the employer says that one is reallllllly special to the employer and not to the rightful owner.

meanwhile, the red sox could buy that ball using money earned exclusively from me with their goddamn ticket prices.

taking a ball and taking some pens from the company storeroom at pretty much the same thing.

i agree on their ticket prices though.

not the same. mlb says the ball belongs to menky.

mlb should take it and auction it off for tsunami relief.