After the historic moment, there is a huge pile of happiness and hair on the Busch Stadium infield. Then there is a champagne-drenched celebration, a joyous plane ride home, a parade with a couple million people, and a World Series trophy tour that covers more ground than the combined campaigns of Kerry and Bush. Soxapalooza.
But no one ever asks about the ball. What happened to the baseball that ended 86 years of Red Sox frustration?
"I've got it," Mientkiewicz said from his Miami home Wednesday. "It's in a safety-deposit box with my Olympic gold medal [Sydney, 2000]. We had it authenticated by Major League Baseball the day after the World Series so no one can claim they have it. That's my retirement fund. A guy offered me 500 bucks for it, but I think it's worth more than that."
Not so fast, Doug.
"We're going to make a request of him to return it to us," Red Sox CEO Larry Lucchino said late last night. "We want it to be part of Red Sox archives or museums so it can be shared with the fans. We would hope he would understand the historical nature of it."
Mientkiewicz understands. We all understand. The ball is the Hope Diamond of New England sports. When Steven Soderbergh gets around to making "Ocean's Thirteen," he can have Clooney, Damon, and friends stealing a piece of Red Sox history. Compared with the ball the Faberge Egg is a prize you'd find in a box of Cracker Jacks.
Some $highball $hardball $history: The ball that skipped between the legs of Bill Buckner in 1986 was picked up by umpire Ed Montague, who gave it to Mets traveling secretary Arthur Richman (now with the Yankees). Richman auctioned that ball in 1992 and actor Charlie Sheen bought it for $93,500. In 1999, former Reds left fielder George Foster came forward with the ball that Carlton Fisk clanged off the foul pole in Game 6 of the 1975 World Series. The Fisk ball fetched $113,273. A collector paid a half million for Eddie Murray's 500th home run ball and a couple of Giants fans went to court after wrestling for Barry Bonds's 73d home run ball, which sold for $450,000. The most expensive baseball of all time is still Mark McGwire's 70th homer, which went for $3 million.
