Stray souvenirs: Without fans, MLB foul balls left lonely

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Mookie Betts made a running catch in foul territory and immediately spotted something just over the padded outfield wall at Dodger Stadium: a lonely, stray baseball.

After signing a $365 million, 12-year contract, Betts apparently wasn't above a little clean-up duty in his Los Angeles debut. He leaned over the railing, scooped up the ball and tossed it behind the right-field fence.

From Target Field to PNC Park and Busch Stadium, there are baseballs scattered everywhere with no fans inside to chase them down during this coronavirus-shortened 60-game season.

No scrambles for souvenirs in the upper deck. No races for home run blasts in the bleachers. No jump balls for foul balls in the box seats.

Without fans clamoring to claim every ball that winds up in the stands, baseballs have been left scattered everywhere.

Some clubs have been more frugal than others when it comes to collecting them. Betts, for instance, took it upon himself to grab that abandoned ball after making a nifty grab in the sixth inning of Thursday night's season opener against the San Francisco Giants.

The Mets, meanwhile, were quick to fetch a homer by Atlanta's Adam Duvall on Saturday at Citi Field after it crashed into a cardboard cutout of a dog belonging to New York All-Star Jeff McNeil. The pooch sure showed off a good set of paws — a stadium attendant found the home run ball sitting in the seat propping up the likeness of Willow McNeil.

“I think we’re going to save money, I guess," Angels manager Joe Maddon said. “I’m sure somebody’s going to sweep it up afterwards. They’ve got to have the baseball detail that goes out there after the game, as opposed to blowing hot dog wrappers, let’s go find baseballs. Everything about all of this is different....

source https://www.chron.com/news/article/Stray-souvenirs-Without-fans-MLB-foul-balls-15441720.php