The Yankees paid $150,000 to retrieve the baseball that former steroid using baseball star Alex Rodriguez homered into the bleachers. It was Rodriguez’s 3000th hit, and the sentimental A-Rod wanted the ball for his daughters. A fan named Zack Hample caught it and wasn’t immediately moved to give it back.
The Yankees, having kissed and made up with A-Rod after suspending him and battling him over bonus money, ultimately agreed to donate $150,000 to charity in Hample’s name. Hample gave back the ball. Back in 2011, A-Rod’s old teammate and Yankees captain Derek Jeter‘s 3000th hit ball was estimated by Bloomberg at $250,000 when a fan named Christian Lopez accepted gifts from the Yankees totaling about $70,000 to return it. Lopez said at the time, “Mr. Jeter deserved it.” The Yankees organization apparently now feels the same way about Rodriguez.
