General News: Local Man Catches Historic Jeter Ball
July 10, 2011
A former member of the Cornwall Dragons football team found more fame than he ever imagined on Saturday night when he got the ball that was Yankee captain Derek Jeter’s 3,000th career hit. His fame ignited when he decided to hand the ball back to the Yankee.
Christian Lopez was a defensive tackle on the Dragons in 2005, the year the team went to the state final in the Carrier Dome. He went on to St. Lawrence University where he continued to play football. His skills learned on the field served the 23-year-old well when he came up with the prize baseball after it landed near him in the bleachers in left field.
Lopez later described to Yankees television how he got the ball. "When I looked in the air, I see my dad diving across on top of people, and he missed it, because he had awful hands," Lopez said. "I just saw the ball roll in front of me, and I jumped on it. It was just instinct. I saw the ball, and I was like, 'Wow, this is it. This is my chance.'"
Lopez’s dad, Raul, then jumped on top of his son to protect him from other fans, and security guards whisked the two away. Lopez reportedly said he would be willing to exchange the historical ball for a few autographed balls. He got those, along with free luxury box tickets to the rest of the season, including the playoff and World Series games. He also got to meet Jeter after the game.
In a press conference carried live, Lopez said it was an easy decision for him to return the ball, which could be worth six figures if sold. “"Money's cool and all, but I'm only 23 years old and I have a lot of time to make that," Lopez said, a Verizon sales representative. "It's his accomplishment; it's a milestone. Only 27 other people have done this. It's not an everyday thing."
On Sunday morning, Lopez left his Highland Mills home early to return to Yankee Stadium to use the front-row tickets he received for the afternoon game.
Cornwall Central School District Athletic Director Lou Cioffi said on Sunday that he remembers Lopez and his formidable size on the playing field. But what stuck out most in his mind about Lopez? “He’s a really nice guy,” Cioffi said, a factor more than underscored by his actions on Saturday.
In the video below, Lopez talks about the big catch with YES TV:
Comments:
This shows us how great people can be. Conggratulations on your catch, and your decision making. You make my heart smile knowing that there are superlative people, who understand the true meaning of money, and happiness...you rock!
And now it turns out that his not-so-lucky day has rewarded him with a huge income-tax bill, according to the New York Times. The IRS is valuing the tickets he was given at their retail price, and they're each worth thousands of dollars, and they're assessing the signed balls and bats at the highest collector prices paid for such memontos. And you can be sure he'll have to pay the highest possible tax rate, unlike Jamie Diman or GE.
Catch a ball and the IRS is on you like white on rice. Run a bank and get a $50 million bonus and they'll help you find a loophole so you pay no tax at all.
We were just talking about this dichotomy at dinner this evening. An honest, heartfelt and ethical response to the achievement of a sports hero leaves the fan in the lurch because he directly comes into contact with the fault-line of big-time money vs. old-time fan virtue. I hope the Yankee organization will extend the perks given to this young fan to cover his tax liability. It's a drop in the bucket for them, but a financial meltdown for him.
