Sox taking Doug Mientkiewicz to court on ownership of ball

[riverside sluggers]

Red Sox file suit to keep World Series ball

 

December 1, 2005

BOSTON (AP) -- The Red Sox have filed a lawsuit seeking a court order to keep the ball that Doug Mientkiewicz caught for the final out to clinch Boston's 2004 World Series title, The Boston Globe reported Thursday. Ownership of the ball has been in dispute during the 13 months since pitcher Keith Foulke flipped it to Mientkiewicz, giving Boston a four-game sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals and its first World Series championship in 86 years. Mientkiewicz, who clutched the ball in his glove and joined teammates in celebration, later put the ball in a safe deposit box and claimed ownership when the Red Sox asked for it.

 

In January, days after he was traded to the New York Mets, he agreed to lend the ball to the Red Sox for one year. He would get it back "unless the ultimate issue of ownership has been otherwise resolved," the agreement said. That clause, The Boston Globe reported, led team lawyers to Suffolk Superior Court on Wednesday. The suit asks the court to place the ball in a "secure location" until ownership is decided. The team's lawyers argue that Mientkiewicz gained possession of the ball only because he was a Red Sox employee, and that the ball is team property.

 

"From our perspective, it is very important that an artifact with this much history -- it was 86 years in the making -- be part of the club archive and be available for fans to experience," Lucinda Treat, the team's chief legal officer, told the newspaper. The Red Sox made quite a splash once they got the ball on Feb. 3, when it was driven to Fenway Park in a Brinks truck. The ball joined the World Series trophy on a tour of Massachusetts cities and towns. Neither Mientkiewicz nor the players' association were reached for comment, the Globe reported.

 

When he agreed to lend the ball to the team, Mientkiewicz said: "I want the fans to see it, and that's what both the Red Sox and I agreed on." At that time, he said it was "very cordial, and we worked something out." He also said he "probably" would get the ball back after a year. Their agreement said proceeds directly derived from exhibiting the ball would be donated to the Red Sox Foundation, the team's charity organization.

[26 to 6]

I think this is ridiculous. The Red Sox arguement (according to what I heard on Cold Pizza earlier) is that the only reason Mientkiewicz had possession of the ball was because he was a Red Sox employee, making the ball property of the Red Sox. That's ********, the ball is property of Major League Baseball. Major League Baseball, not the Red Sox, purchase the balls from Rawlings. I think the Sox are taking this to an extreme. Granted, I can understand their desire for the ball, but if they want it back so much pony up some $$$ and wave it in front of Doug's face. He did nothing wrong, legally, or in my opinion morally ny taking that ball.

[BoSox84]

Okay then give the ball to MLB to put in the Hall of Fame, it's not his so why should he have it? He shouldnt get money for having something that isnt his.

[yeszir]

Ugh. I thought this died last year.

[He Hate Me]

How can anyone be surprised that they are acting like little brats over a silly ball? this is coming from the same management that bungled Theo's contract. Only the Red Sox could tarnish the euphoria of their first championship in 86 years with a dispute over a ball, letting go of popular stalwarts of the championship team, and then getting swept in the playoffs. Could there be a Doug Mientkiewicz curse looming???

[Soxfan1]

I watched the world series DVD last night and I remembered this. Coincedence? I think not.

[Cityofchampions33]

The whole point of it is that Mientkiewicz has no business owning that ball. he SNEAKED it out of the clubhouse via wife and basically did what he knew, if he was a Boston fan, was WAY wrong. I mean we wait 86 years for it to happen, and a mid-season acquisition takes it? It would be kind of wierd if in a few years he still has the ball. He already makes millions of dollars per year, and he said he's using this money for "college fund" for his f***in kid, I'm tellin ya, tha kid better cure cancer.

[yankeessuck013]

give it to edgar, he hit the ball. Or give it to st. louis, they supplied the ball.

[Soxfan1]

Either one along with Foulke would mostlikely donate the ball too us.

[26 to 6]

The whole point of it is that Mientkiewicz has no business owning that ball. he SNEAKED it out of the clubhouse

 

I also remember something about him going to an MLB official to get it authenticized. If it was sucha problem the official should have taken the ball.

 

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This is ridiculous, there always as to be some controversy involved with something good.

[Ray10]

The ball should be the property of the Red Sox after all the team did win the World Series not Doug.M alone.