The Yankee fan who caught Freddie Freeman’s sixth straight World Series home run ball on Tuesday revealed why he refused a potential six-figure payday after Game 4.
Freeman’s historic run for the Dodgers remained hot as he opened up the scoring for LA on Tuesday’s game at the Bronx. The Dodgers went into the game with a 3-0 series lead, one away from a sweep and a title.
51-year-old Marcus Kline was the lucky fan who palmed the ball after it got blasted into the stands early in the game. However, the Yankee faithful had a choice to make and ultimately turned down what many claimed could have made around $100,000, if not more, by tossing it back on the field.
‘This is the turning point,’ Kline told the New York Post, noting how his decision affected the game. ‘The bats came alive after that, the stadium was electric, the air was re-inflated. It was fire, it was nuts.
‘There were some people who came up later and mentioned the significance of that ball, the history and I’m like, ‘No regrets.’ This is bigger than money.’
The fan who caught Freddie Freeman’s early homerun ball turned down a six-figure payday
Freeman opened the scoring on Tuesday night with his fourth homer of this World Series
The Yankees went on to win the game, 11-4, and force a Game 5 thanks to an electrifying performance from Anthony Volpe.
After failing to secure tickets, Kline, a finance worker, got lucky when a friend offered him two front-row tickets in section 107 since he could not attend the game.
To add to his fortune, Freeman’s fourth World Series homer this year soared into his section at the top of the first inning.
The ball bounced around several spectators before Cline got the final grip after boxing others out. Speaking to the New York Post, he revealed that a Yankees win was more valuable than the ball.
Kline also noted the two Yankee fans who were ejected after trying to wrestle a ball out of Mookie Betts’ hand shortly after the Dodgers’ went up.
‘It’s almost like a football scrum,’ Kline said. ‘Everyone is trying to pull the ball out of your hands — like you saw a few minutes later with Mookie. It felt like that – everyone grabbing for the ball. At that time, I didn’t realize the why and the significance but I held my ground and had the ball.’
Two Yankees fans were ejected after trying to grab a ball from Mookie Betts’ glove
The Yankees went from being down 2-0 to winning 11-4, forcing a Game 5 on Wednesday
Anthony Volpe’s inspiring performance lifted the Yankees who were on the verge of a sweep
Kline claimed that Freeman’s homerun felt like a ‘punch in the gut’ that knocked the air out of Yankee Stadium. As a result, he decided to inspire the New York crowd by showing how little value the ball held to him.
Jorge Soler’s Game 6 home run ball for the Braves in 2021’s title-clinching win sold for $70,000. Earlier this season, Shohei Ohtani’s homer that made him the first member of the 50-50 club sold for $4.392m.
The specific amount that Kline could have cashed in on for the ball remains unknown, nor does it matter after his decision. However, some close to Kline suggested that he could have netted at least $1m.
‘Sheer instinct was it’s not about the money,’ Kline said. ‘This is about our team, our city. You’re going to sit in the bleachers, you got to be part of the bleachers and that’s New York City energy at its finest.’
The Yankees and Dodgers will return to the Bronx for Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday night.
