|
|
Reuben Berman's foul ball.
- Article from:
-
The National Pastime
- Article date:
-
January 1, 2005
- Author:
- Mandell, David
|
Copyright informationCOPYRIGHT 2005 University of Nebraska Press. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
You may be trampled and bruised, but if you catch a foul ball at a major league baseball game, it--s yours. Thanks to the actions of a 31-year-old stockbroker, Reuben Berman, baseball fans can now keep foul balls, which have become the game's ultimate souvenir.
The story begins on May 16, 1921, in New York's Polo Grounds. Berman, a Hartford, Connecticut, native living in New York City, went to watch his favorite team, the New York Giants, battle the Cincinnati Reds. The Giants were managed by Hall of Famer John McGraw, and its lineup included two more Hall of Famers, first baseman George "Highpockets" Kelly and second baseman Frankie Frisch, the Fordham Flash. 1921 was an ...