Odds & Ends: Sheets, Blanco, Coghlan

I think if i caught a ball like that I would want a team signed bat or atleast any player that was of course willing to sign it and maybe bleacher tickets to another game, not as honorable as Nick though...

So it's not just a couple players on the Marlins that are punks; it's the whole organization.

If I was that guy, I would have kept it after all that.

Lol when i read this guys blog. I really couldnt stop laughing. B.K. is totally right on this. This guy is 29 and goes to games for a "hobby". I can't belive this guy really thought he was going to get a Hanley signed bat and actually get the poor kid to sign what he wanted on that bat. this guy is a joke lol

This guy is a loser. He has 2 kids and is taking his buddy to the game. Good father/child time. It looks like he's been to every Brewers home game and has caught well over 100 balls. Why would you even think it is acceptable to ask for one of Hanley's bats. That's just being greedy. Why didn't you ask for someone World Series ring from 2003. Collecting balls is cool and all, but to make that big of a deal out of it is childish. Me, I catch the ball. I want a bat, an autographed ball, and a photo with the guy. That's it. Take you kids you loser.

There's a big discussion thread on the ballhawk story that's going to hit Fark.com's Sports page at 3:30 central time. Most of the comments are decidedly against the guy who caught the ball.

http://www.fark.com/cgi/comments.pl?IDLink=4390180

My opinion - asking for a bat is fine. All the stuff he asked for? A bit silly. And real fans don't EVER wear their opponents' clothing.

BK i totally agree. you make a request the player grants it and than after you that you say hold up now this is what i want. maybe the guy should have thought about that before hand.

Yohanek is just a total d-bag. He "professionally" catches balls, which means he goes up during BP and begs players for balls, and tackles kids so they can't catch a home run. He anointed himself the Brewers #1 fan, and he's holding a ball for ransom because he's a greedy POS.

If Ben Sheets signs with Texas, they are seriously looking really good for winning that division.

In his own words it sounds like he told Foster in the bullpen that he would trade it for a bat since he apparently had over 700 balls already, then changed his mind and decided heck they agreed to that pretty quick I better try for more.

Honestly I wouldn't be surprised if he swapped it with another ball as well

A true baseball fan would have given that ball over, its not historic, its a first home run and that has to be special for any player, but yet at the same time a fairly common occurance at the same time.

This guy isn't a fan, he's someone that just likes to collect used baseballs. Frankly I don't think he cares who even won the game.

Man I hope the Rangers get Sheets!!! Move McCarthy to the pen when they do, release Kris Benson...and some how find a spot for Feliz in the pen come July!!!

You guys are fools. If he wanted, he could have demanded 100 million for the ball. He caught it. It is his. Do you think if A-Rod breaks the homerun record, the guy who catches the ball should just give it to whoever wants it? If you have something that somebody else wants, you have the leverage. This is the way of the world. I guess you guys are just all such noble fellows, you all would do the right thing in any situation in life.

I think they should have given him the Hanley bat also. In the collectible industry, the ball is worth only what someone is willing to pay for it. He could have probable made $800+ on eBay with the ball if he would have posted the news stories on his auction listing. He didnt ask for a Marlins team signed ball, 10 minutes shucking and jiving inside the Marlins clubhouse and an all expense paid trip to cooperstown. If Coughlan becomes a HOF'er, the ball would put his kids through college in the future.

I don't even know why the players got involved. Its not like they buy the equipment. The Marlins professional (or unprofessional after reading the story) staff at the game should have been able to get a Hanley and Coughlan bat with relative ease, in exchange for the ball. There should have been no negotiating with the players and it is the Marlins staff who determined that the HR ball was not worth both bats.

Coughlan appears to be an arrogant athlete who feels the world revolves around him. These guys make A LOT of money off of us, every now and then, they should be generous when they ask things back.

There's nothing wrong with getting something in return for the HR ball, but I think the biggest problem most of us have with his story is that he made a verbal agreement with the bullpen manager (I think it was that guy) and then he changed his demands later.

On top of it, to ask for something from someone (Hanley) not involved in the situation, and who stands to get nothing in return himself, just seems wrong.

Nick has every right to ask what he wants. It's his damn ball!!!! How can anyone disagree with this? He could have asked for a million dollars and if that is what it is worth to the player, then okay. I'm so sick of MLB. I love baseball but these guys are just piles of crap. It's okay for teams to charge an arm and a leg for tickets, players get paid millions of dollars, taxpayers pay for new stadiums, we are required to follow ridiculous rules in these stadiums and yet we are wrong because this rookie sh**head wants his ball back. Screw these elitist jackoffs. MLB is a joke and the players are just spoiled little brats who are paid by the sweat of real working americans.
Sorry for that. We have to draw a line at some point with these people.

There's nothing wrong with getting something in return for the HR ball, but I think the biggest problem most of us have with his story is that he made a verbal agreement with the bullpen manager (I think it was that guy) and then he changed his demands later.

He didnt change his demands, the bullpen guy told him the bats were no problem and then chnaged his mind after.

Then with those standards every mlb organization are tools for ripping every fan off everyday. So these scammers don't deserve any respect. They are all hypocrites.

Yohanek and Coughlan both come off looking like idiots, and best as I can tell, they deserve each other.

He asked for too much for just one baseball from a rookie.

I'm loving the disrespect from the players/organization though, how hilarious.

I want to hear Tim's thoughts on the Happy Youngster/Coughlan situation.

I am not trying to take up for the guy, but I watched the marlins telecast on FSNFL (I live in Florida) and in the interview, he did ask for the bats it sounded like to me and showed the list, but I didn't hear anything about another ball. He didn't sound like a jerk or anything and also said he was waiting on the authentification guy which should not have even mattered IMO.

He didn't deserve more than a bat anyway than a bat signed by the guy, but now he's really getting lit up by the team. Just wanted to let everyone know that he DID initially ask for *2* bats on the Marlins broadcast interview during the game.

nrmax88- " Do you think if A-Rod breaks the homerun record, the guy who catches the ball should just give it to whoever wants it?"

There is a huge difference between those two home runs. If I catch ARod's homer, I wouldn't be giving it back to Arod, unless he gave me enough money that I would get selling it. It is a "MLB Baseball" milestone, not someone's first homer. It holds absolutely no sentimental value to that guy, but does to the player and for him to extort that is crossing the line to a complete jackass. Don't get me wrong, there is absolutly nothing wrong with someone asking for something in return, but what would that guy have gotten if he sold it on EBay? Probably very little.

wow chris coughlan is worse than an 8 year old. Grow up dude and get some balls. What a little p***y

""Everything aside about how much money people make, the ball belonged to the fan and he had the right to try and barter for whatever he wanted for it. I wouldn't have asked for a Hanley Ramirez bat myself, but I didn't catch the ball. I really can't argue against the guy defending himself after reading what the Marlins wrote on their website. If someone made acusations about you being an unreasonable jerk on a national scale would you just let it slide?""

Why not? Let's look at this from the fans standpoint: Which player has a better shot at the Hall? Hanley, by a long shot. Hanley has the inside track to becoming one of the best shortstops to ever play the game. Coughlin will be an above-average infielder, or an All-Star at best... Can't blame the dude...

Asking for something from Hanley is an insult, pure and simple. It is that guy saying that Coghlan isn't good enough for him.

"Not sure what I would have done in the situation."

I know I wouldn't have been diving all over the bleachers in batting practice, ballhawking $12.50 souvenirs away from unsuspecting 12 year olds, then writing a 27 page blog about it. Yes, he had the right to ask for whatever he wanted. That doesn't mean he's still not a d-bag for doing it. Don't get me wrong, I was super excited the first time I got a ball in the stands. But after the first one, you should really start giving the balls to little kids around you in the stands. It means a lot more to them. Hording balls and keeping an online tally of your "conquests" is ridiculous. This guy made a spectacle of himself...and it sounds like that's exactly what he was trying to do.

I did read the article...at least, I tried to read the entire 27 page debacle (and, yes, you have to hit the page down button 27 times to reach the end of his entry), but I did skim over some parts. Obviously, that was one of them. Forgive me if I painted him as a grown man ripping balls out little kids hands. That still doesn't change anything, though. Ask yourself this, would anyone BUT this joker have made this big a deal out of the situation? Documenting every little step along the way? It's like this was his holy grail of ballhawking.

Also, it's his own damn fault for not holding out for the HanRam bat, if that's what he had his heart set on. With all of this publicity, I'm sure he would've gotten his wish had he still had the ball in his possession.

Besides, as a self-respecting Brewer fan, how could you honestly stand up for a guy that will wear the other team's cap to better his chances of getting BATTING PRACTICE BASEBALLS. What a joke...

And here's another poster making up reasons to not like the guy...

It's his hobby...Get over it.

Some people collect Magic cards. Some people collect stamps. Quit judging the dude because he finds a thrill in something that you don't.

And I'm sure it'd be nice to have the first HR of a player in anyone's collection. That's not something that someone gets to add to their collection often.