Why Albert Pujols Gave Home Run Ball 697 Back to Fans Who Got It
Home run balls make great souvenirs especially historic ones. Albert Pujols hit career home run number 697 on Sunday and the fans who caught it tried to give the ball to him. The reason he gave it back is heartwarming and the real reason why Albert Pujols is a hero.
As we shared on Sunday, Albert Pujols hit home run #697 against the Pittsburgh Pirates propelling him to #4 on the all-time Major League Baseball home run list. Jeff Jones shared an incredible backstory on Twitter of what happened AFTER Albert hit that home run.
It was caught by Matt Brown. He and his wife Samantha were at the game and it was Matt who grabbed the ball from behind a row of seats in left field after it cleared the fence.
When Matt and Samantha met Albert after the game, they tried to give him the ball. However, they shared with Albert that Samantha's dad had passed away exactly one year from yesterday. Upon hearing that, Albert not only gave them the home run ball back, but also grabbed 2 more balls and signed those for them, too.
According to reports, Albert told them that the ball would mean more to them than sitting in one of his trophy cases. He said that players play games for the fans and they should keep it. It's gestures like this that make people heroes more so than what any athlete achieves on a field.