HOMER BALL LOST
On a sultry night in Arlington, Texas I watched a young baseball fan learn the bitter lesson of the harm that comes our way if we listen to the crowd. It was the first inning of a mid-season game between the Texas Rangers and the Toronto Blue Jays. Eventual Hall-of-Famer Nolan Ryan was on the mound for the Rangers, pitching his first game after returning from injured reserve. Dave Winfield, a sure bet for the Hall-of-Fame, took the plate for the Blue Jays. It was a classic match-up — an overpowering fastball pitcher with more than 5,000 strikeouts opposing one of baseball’s premier hitters. Hitting conquered pitching in that engagement. Winfield launched a Ryan fastball into the left field bleachers, right into the outstretched hands of as young fan. Elation was on his face, his hands cradled a treasure. That ball would have been worth several hundred dollars to baseball fans — a ball hit by Dave Winfield off of Nolan…
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