The Yankees fan who caught Freddie Freeman’s sixth straight home run in the World Series on Tuesday revealed why he turned down a potential six-figure payday after Game 4.
Freeman’s storied career for the Dodgers was kept alive when he opened the scoring for Los Angeles in Tuesday’s game in the Bronx. The Dodgers came into the game with a 3-0 series lead, one away from sweeping and winning the title.
Marcus Kline, 51, was the lucky fan who tapped the ball after it was thrown into the stands early in the game. However, the Yankee faithful had a decision to make and ultimately rejected what many claimed could have generated around $100,000, if not more, by throwing him back onto the field.
“This is the turning point,” Kline told the New York Post, noting how his decision affected the game. “The bats came to life after that, the stadium became electric, the air inflated again. It was fire, it was crazy.
“There were a few people who came up later and mentioned the meaning of that dance, the story, and I was like, ‘I don’t regret it.'” “This is bigger than money.”
Fan who caught Freddie Freeman’s early home run turned down six-figure payout
Freeman opened the scoring Tuesday night with his fourth home run of this World Series
The Yankees won the game, 11-4, and forced a Game 5 thanks to an electrifying performance by Anthony Volpe.
After failing to get tickets, Kline, a finance worker, got lucky when a friend offered him two front-row tickets in section 107 since he couldn’t attend the game.
Adding to his fortune, Freeman’s fourth home run in the World Series this year came into his section in the top of the first inning.
The ball bounced around several spectators before Cline took final control after boxing others out. Speaking to the New York Post, he revealed that a Yankees victory was more valuable than the ball.
Kline also noted the two Yankees fans who were ejected after trying to snatch a ball out of Mookie Betts’ hand shortly after the Dodgers went up.
“It’s almost like a football scrum,” Kline said. “Everyone tries to take the ball out of your hands, like you saw a few minutes later with Mookie. It felt like that: everyone was grabbing the ball. At the time, I didn’t realize why or what it meant, but I stood my ground and had the ball.”
Two Yankees fans ejected after trying to grab a ball from Mookie Betts’ glove
The Yankees went from being down 2-0 to winning 11-4, forcing a Game 5 on Wednesday.
Anthony Volpe’s inspiring performance lifted the Yankees from the brink of a sweep
Kline said Freeman’s home run felt like a “punch in the gut” that knocked the air out of Yankee Stadium. As a result, he decided to inspire the New York crowd by showing how little value the ball had to him.
Jorge Soler’s Game 6 home run for the Braves in the 2021 title-clinching win sold for $70,000. Earlier this season, Shohei Ohtani’s home run that made him the first member of the 50-50 club sold for $4.392 million.
The specific amount Kline could have charged for the ball is unknown, nor does it matter after his decision. However, some people close to Kline suggested he could have earned at least $1 million.
“Just by instinct, it’s not about money,” Kline said. ‘It’s about our team, our city. “You’re going to sit in the stands, you get to be a part of the stands, and that’s New York City energy at its finest.”
The Yankees and Dodgers will return to the Bronx for Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday night.