Wednesday. September 16, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 5
Melee follows Sosa's 62nd homer
Several fans claim to be rightful owners of ball
The Associated Press
CHICAGO - The home-run battle between Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire is nothing compared to the fierce tussle behind Wrigley Field for Slamming Sammy's blasts into the streets surrounding the stadium.
When Sammy Sosa launched his 62nd home run onto Waveland Avenue on Sunday, dozens of fans made a pile, bit, kicked and punched until one guy emerged with the baseball.
Three people now claim to be the rightful owner, but police said Monday that possession is ten-tenthsf of the law in this case, and whoever has the ball now can keep it.
"Only in Chicago," said Cindy Lance, a police representative, who said the affair no longer was considered a police matter.
The homer left lumps on fans, and Sosa tied McGwire, of the St. Louis Cardinal, for the major league home-run lead.
As Sosa closed in on the home run record of 61 set by Roger Maris in 1961, the crowd outside the ballpark swelled to the hundreds.
When Sosa hit No. 61 in the fifth inning Sunday, John Witt grabbed the ball and hid in a van after outrunning the pack of ball-catchers outside the
Witt also won fame a few years ago for appearing in a Spike Lee Nike commercial.
park.
When Sosa hit that homer, Bob Milkovich was watching the game on TV at home with his wife, who is 81/2 months pregnant. He had stayed close to home in recent days but wanted to be at Wrigley Field in case Sosa hit another.
"I says, 'Honey, you mind if I go for a bike ride?'"
She didn't, and off Milkovich went, armed with a pager, cellular phone, tiny TV and camera with telephoto lens.
Fans were
crowded around Milkovich's 2-by-2 television screen when Sosa hit the ninth-inning blast to tie McGwire's record-breaking mark.
"It looked like we had the winner," Milkovich said.
So I'm running to my left with the TV in my hand, and everybody following me. The ball just kind of streamed over, and when it hits the alley, there's just a sea of people," he said.
"There's a group of people just immersed over somebody who got the ball. Usually, somebody gets a ball, the struggle stops. But in this situation, I think there were dollar signs," he said. "This was the biggest home-run ball you'd ever catch."
The battle continued until one man, later identified as Brendan Cunningham, 33, emerged with the ball hidden under his shirt, escaped the crowd and took off.
"As he's running away from me, 500 people took off after him," Milkovich said. "It was pretty scary."
Cunningham found some police officers half a mile from the park, and they whisked him away for protection.
Delivery truck driver Gary "Moe" Mullins, who claimed to have grabbed the ball first, later showed up at a police station to complain that he had been robbed of the ball. Police at the station said Mullins, 47, was bitten, kicked and appeared to have a broken hand.
Mullins later said he was considering a civil lawsuit to recover the ball.
To further complicate matters, a 15-year-old juvenile also is claiming to be the first person to catch the ball.
There may be no real way to prove who has No. 62. After McGwire broke the record, Major League Baseball stopped putting a secret code on balls pitched to him and Sosa.
"Now you know how Elvis and the Beatles felt. Or the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain," Milkovich said. "I never did that, but I did it yesterday."
McGwire's signed bat hits home run with Marino's son
The Associated Press
DAVIE, Fla. — What kind of birthday present does the NFL's all-time leading passer give to a 9-year-old that has everything?
How about an autographed bat from Mark McGwire?
Wracking his brain to come up with a gift for son Joey's birthday last July 26, Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino thought of McGwire.
13 jersey was waiting for McGwire's son Matt when the Cardinals returned from the road trip.
Joey was a fan of the St. Louis Cardinals slugger long before this year's assault on Roger Maris' record of 61 home runs in a season. So Marino tracked McGwire down on a road trip in San Francisco.
"Joey got so excited when I gave him the bat a few days later on
McGwire's brother, Dan, was Marino's backup with the Dolphins in 1985, but the two record-holders never met before Marino called.
"I think what I appreciate most is how [Mark McGwire] has handled the whole thing and the way he has conducted himself with all the attention he has gotten. The way he's so gracious dealing with the press and the public just shows that he's a class act."
his birthday," said Marino, whose 48 touchdown passes in 1984 may be football's equivalent to McGwire's 62 homers. "Watching Joey get so excited when he got that bat was a special thrill for me as well."
Dan Marino Miami Dolphins quarterback
In return, an autographed Dolphins No.
"Irecognized his voice from those Isotoner glove commercials," McGwire said. Since then, Marino said, he followed McGwire's chase of Maris closely.
"I not only watched him because I'm a fan, but also because my kids love watching it, too." Marino said. "We were all excited when he hit that (record-breaking)
homer.
"I think what I appreciate most is how he has handled the whole thing, and the way he has conducted himself with all the attention he has gotten. The way he's so gracious dealing with the press and the public just shows that he's a class act."
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Invites you to a training session:
Thursday, Sept.17
7:30 p.m.
Alcove A of the Kansas Union
September 19 & 20, 1998
PSYCHIC AND
864-4073
METAPHYSICAL FAIR
Douglas County Fairgrounds 2110 Harper St.
Psychics, tarot readings,
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Also exhibitors selling
crystals, books, cards, massages & other merchandise from the metaphysical world.
For more information call (800) 756-4788
Student Senate
Admission with this coupon
Psychic & Metaphysical Fair
Saturday 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Douglas County Fairgrounds
2110 Harper St.
September 19th and 20th
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