Fan Arrested for Throwing Home Run Ball Back

Beer man
Bleacher Bums is MLB FanHouse's look at those oh-so-fun fan adventures.

I've always liked the Wrigley Field tradition of fans throwing back home runs hit by visiting players. Considering most fans will never get a chance to catch a home run, giving up the ball, a once-in-a-lifetime souvenir, just because a guy wearing the wrong color jersey hit it to you is the ultimate sign of fan loyalty.

That said, there's a right way and a wrong way to do it. The right way is to catch it, wait a few moments until everyone in your section gets a nice, strong "throw it back!" chant going and then enjoy your moment in the spotlight by hurling it back before the next batter comes to the plate.

The wrong way? Holding onto the ball until the visiting team takes the field, and then trying to bean the unsuspecting left fielder with your throw. That's what one fan who attended last night's game has been charged with doing. From the Chicago Sun-Times:

[The fan] caught Dodgers home run and, instead of immediately throwing it back onto the field, attempted to throw it at [Manny] Ramirez when the Dodgers returned to the field. Security guards "grabbed him" and turned him over to Chicago Police, police said.

Call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure the man in the picture was an accomplice. The fan was charged with reckless conduct, a misdemeanor, and is scheduled to appear in front of a judge later this month.

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