Soler Series Home Run Ball Could Be Worth Six Figures to Ballpark Neighbor
It’s a little like those old stories of titanic home run blasts that roll over the street behind the outfield walls of Wrigley Field and into the neighborhood. Dave Kingman hit one such legendary long ball back in the day. Tuesday night, Jorge Soler belted a similar moon shot–this one a little more important than a mid-May afternoon game in Chicago. Now, that baseball–bearing the mark of its power–is in the hands of an Astros fan and his brother who lived across the street and watched the whole thing unfold.
It could be worth a lot of money.
Richard Ramos lives in the apartment building just outside Minute Maid Park in Houston. He and his brother Manuel were on the balcony, catching glimpses of Game 6 thanks to the decision to keep the ballpark’s retractable roof open. Soler crushed a home run in the third inning that gave Atlanta a 3-0 lead, the ball sailing completely out of the park.
The ball struck the top of an awning, rolled to the right and rolled to stop on a sidewalk just inside a chain link fence separating the park from the rest of the area. The Ramos brothers expected someone to come and pick it up but after a few minutes, no one did, so Manuel decided to see if he could snare it for a souvenir. They told their story to Nate Griffin of Fox 26:
Two Astros fans tell the story of how they’ve gotten offers of up to a MILLION dollars after finding the Jorge Soler home run ball that left Minute Maid Park. One of the brothers ran down six flights of stairs and found it. Live on @FOX26Houston. pic.twitter.com/wJO8cCNIDk
— Nate Griffin (@NateGriffFOX26) November 4, 2021
Manuel was able to jump the fence, grab the ball and hustle back to his apartment. In a few minutes, he says, security scoured the area where the ball landed, hoping to pick it up and return it to the Braves.
Too late.
While the MLB Authentication team that is on hand during every major league game can’t put a hologram on baseballs that leave their sight, the ball’s provenance seems relatively solid. No other purported home run balls have emerged and while the Ramos brothers are Astros fans, they know the Braves would like to have the ball back.
Jorge Soler is the World Series MVP. And here is a photo of the home run ball he hit during Game 6. Look at the mark 👀 pic.twitter.com/5DoCGkENy5
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 3, 2021
Soler’s mighty clout would likely bring a strong six-figure price if the brothers decide to sell. There isn’t an auction company in the hobby that wouldn’t like to have it in their next catalog.
SCP Auctions President David Kohler, who sold Barry Bonds’ 756th home run ball for $752,467.20 and Bonds’ 500th for $303,000 just last week, tells SC Daily the Soler ball could fetch $250,000 if it’s sold soon and properly authenticated.
One potential fly in the ointment could be how determined the Braves and Astros might be to get it back and whether Houston might use his decision to hop over that fence and onto ballpark property against him.
Stay tuned.
