Cory Youmans, the fan who caught New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge’s 62nd home run ball, faces a very important choice. We just got a solid foundation for the kind of money we’re talking about.
JP Cohen, president of a sports memorabilia auction house Memory Lane Inc., told the Associated Press on Wednesday that he has bid $2 million for the ball that broke the American League’s home run record. Youmans reportedly did not respond to his texts or emails.
From the AP:
“I think the offer is way beyond reasonable, if he’s inclined to sell it,” Cohen said in a telephone interview with the AP on Wednesday.
With prizes like that out there, it’s no wonder a fan was willing to jump off the stands in a doomed attempt to get a hold of the ball.
The record price for a home run ball remains $3 million for Mark McGwire’s 70th home run ball from 1998. With sports memorabilia prices rising steadily, Cohen’s offering may very well be a low ball.
What should the Aaron Judge HR ball catcher do?
The ultimate fate of the historic ball was a big question as history loomed this season for Judge and, to a lesser extent, Albert Pujols.
Fans have the right to take the ball, go home and keep it in their basement for the rest of their lives. They could sell the ball to a collector or auction it and bring in a healthy fortune. Or they can return it to the team and player, often in exchange for a below-market reward, such as a signed ball or future tickets.
That’s what Youmans, a Dallas native who works in the financial industry, is dealing with right now. It’s an extremely good problem to have, as you can see from the delight of his wife Bri Amaranthus, a former “Bachelor” contestant turned Sports Illustrated reporter after learning of his catch.
The Yankees probably hope Youmans returns the ball, although selling the ball to Cohen apparently isn’t a bad result. He reportedly told the AP that his company has a good relationship with the Yankees and would be willing to lend the ball to the team for an exhibition, which his company has done many times in the past.
As for what Judge thinks, he’s apparently hopeful of getting the ball back, but understands if Youmans takes a different path.
From the AP:
“I don’t know where it is,” he said. “We’ll see what happens with that. It would be great to get it back, but that’s a fan souvenir. He made a great catch there and they have every right to do so.”
For now, Judge has bigger things to worry about.
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