Cory Youmans, the fan who caught New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge's 62nd home run ball, has a very important choice to make. We just got a firm baseline 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 he has offered $2 million for the ball that broke the American League home run record. Youmans reportedly has not responded to his texts or emails.
From the AP:
“I feel the offer is way above fair, if he is inclined to sell it,” Cohen said in a telephone interview with the AP on Wednesday.
With that kind of price out there, no wonder a fan was willing to leap out of the stands in a doomed effort to snag 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 constantly on the rise, Cohen's offer 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 major question as history loomed for Judge and, to a lesser extent, Albert Pujols this season.
Fans are well within their rights 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 put it up for auction and net a healthy fortune. Or they could return it to the team and player, often in exchange for a below-market reward, such as a signed ball or future tickets.
That is what Youmans, a Dallas native who works in the financial sector, is dealing with right now. It is an extremely good problem to have, as you can tell from the joy of his wife Bri Amaranthus, a former "Bachelor" contestant turned Sports Illustrated reporter, after learning of his catch.
The Yankees are likely hoping Youmans returns the ball, though him selling it to Cohen apparently might not be a bad outcome. He reportedly told the AP his company has a good relationship with the Yankees and would be willing to loan the ball to the team for an exhibit, which his company has frequently done in the past.
As for what Judge thinks, he's apparently hopeful to get the ball back but understands if Youmans goes another route.
From the AP:
“I don’t know where it’s at,” he said. “We’ll see what happens with that. It would be great to get it back, but that’s a souvenir for a fan. He made a great catch out there, and they’ve got every right to it.”
For now, Judge has bigger things to worry about.
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