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The first home run ball hit in Marlins Park won't be going into the Marlins' trophy case. Nor will it be officially recognized by Major League Baseball.
Greg Eisinger, of Plantation, says he caught the ball the Astros rookie J.D. Martinez hit for the first homer in the new park Friday.
The Marlins say he can have it.
"We don't want it," said P.J.Loyello, senior vice president, Communications & Broadcasting for the Marlins. "He wanted season tickets for it. We said no."
Eisinger, a law student at Nova Southeastern University, said he wants to keep the ball and asked the Marlins to authenticate it to increase its value.
The Marlins said they cannot authenticate any ball. That is controlled by representatives of Major League Baseball who are present at games, Loyello said.
"Major League Baseball does not authenticate any foul ball or home runs -- won't authenticate anything that's gone into a crowd," Loyello said.
Eisinger admits he discussed tickets with the Marlins and would have parted with the ball if the price was right.
"I wouldn't trade this ball for a Hanley Ramirez autographed bat, and that's what they offered," he said.
"I told them I would like to keep it but they refused to authenticate the ball unless I gave it to them."
A native South Floridian, Eisinger is a self-proclaimed "huge baseball fan." He was at the first Marlins game ever played in 1993 and at opening day at Marlins Park.
He and his fiance Caitlin Donato, also a student at Nova, are expecting a son any day. He'll be named Easton after the sporting goods company that makes baseball and softball equipment.
Eisinger says he was at the Clevelander in left field when Martinez's home run ball sailed over his head. He dove over the seat behind him and wrested the ball from the scrum. Marlins officials whisked him off to a VIP room where the negotiations commenced, he said.
"He could have caught a ball during batting practice," Loyello said. "Not saying he did, just saying generally speaking. That's why they don't authenticate balls that land in the crowd."
The Marlins have momentos from some of the first balls at Marlins Park, such as the first pitch from Josh Johnson and the ball and bat from the first hit (Carlos Beltran, single to right).
Friends of Martinez, who grew up in Pembroke Pines, said he may want the ball, but there have been no formal offers from him or the Astros.
When players are going for milestone hits or home runs, such as Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit last season, MLB puts specially marked balls in play so it can be verified that was the ball used for the achievement. That was not the case with the ball Martinez hit.
"Once it goes into a crowd they cannot authenticate it. They don't know whether someone pulls a ball out of their pocket from [batting practice] or made a switch," Loyello said.
Greg Eisinger, of Plantation, says he caught the ball the Astros rookie J.D. Martinez hit for the first homer in the new park Friday.
The Marlins say he can have it.
"We don't want it," said P.J.Loyello, senior vice president, Communications & Broadcasting for the Marlins. "He wanted season tickets for it. We said no."
Eisinger, a law student at Nova Southeastern University, said he wants to keep the ball and asked the Marlins to authenticate it to increase its value.
The Marlins said they cannot authenticate any ball. That is controlled by representatives of Major League Baseball who are present at games, Loyello said.
"Major League Baseball does not authenticate any foul ball or home runs -- won't authenticate anything that's gone into a crowd," Loyello said.
Eisinger admits he discussed tickets with the Marlins and would have parted with the ball if the price was right.
"I wouldn't trade this ball for a Hanley Ramirez autographed bat, and that's what they offered," he said.
"I told them I would like to keep it but they refused to authenticate the ball unless I gave it to them."
A native South Floridian, Eisinger is a self-proclaimed "huge baseball fan." He was at the first Marlins game ever played in 1993 and at opening day at Marlins Park.
He and his fiance Caitlin Donato, also a student at Nova, are expecting a son any day. He'll be named Easton after the sporting goods company that makes baseball and softball equipment.
Eisinger says he was at the Clevelander in left field when Martinez's home run ball sailed over his head. He dove over the seat behind him and wrested the ball from the scrum. Marlins officials whisked him off to a VIP room where the negotiations commenced, he said.
"He could have caught a ball during batting practice," Loyello said. "Not saying he did, just saying generally speaking. That's why they don't authenticate balls that land in the crowd."
The Marlins have momentos from some of the first balls at Marlins Park, such as the first pitch from Josh Johnson and the ball and bat from the first hit (Carlos Beltran, single to right).
Friends of Martinez, who grew up in Pembroke Pines, said he may want the ball, but there have been no formal offers from him or the Astros.
When players are going for milestone hits or home runs, such as Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit last season, MLB puts specially marked balls in play so it can be verified that was the ball used for the achievement. That was not the case with the ball Martinez hit.
"Once it goes into a crowd they cannot authenticate it. They don't know whether someone pulls a ball out of their pocket from [batting practice] or made a switch," Loyello said.
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