It was a moment that Toronto Blue Jays fans will never forget.
Following a controversial call in the top of the seventh inning that put the Texas Rangers up 3-2, the Blue Jays started to make a push to clinch their spot in the American League Championship Series. Tied 3-3, slugger Jose Bautista headed to the plate with two runners on base and slammed a three-run homer that brought about 50,000 screaming fans inside the Rogers Centre to their feet.
Cambridge, Ont.’s Jeff Byma was not only lucky enough to be in the stadium to witness the iconic moment but he was fortunate to leave the game with the souvenir of a lifetime.
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“We had a guy on first, a guy on third, Bautista up and of course the whole stadium was on their feet waiting for Jose to do what he does and sure enough he did it,” he recalled. “I remember as soon as the ball hit the bat we knew it was gone and we’re just watching it, watching it and it’s coming closer to us and I’m like wait a second and it hits the 200-level wall right above us and it falls down right to my feet so I just jumped on it. I pounced on the ball and gripped it with my hand tighter than I’ve ever gripped anything in my life.”
Byma says he doesn’t plan on selling the ball and hopes to give it back to Bautista and the Blue Jays.
“I would definitely want it to be with the organization or Jose himself, if they want to put it on display or if Jose wants it for his personal collection of momentous balls that’s fine too but I’m not just going to sell it to just some regular guy for the highest price.”
Byma, who got his tickets to the game at the last minute, says this is something he will never forget.
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