Brett Richards made sure that his nephew's first-inning homer was returned.
OMAHA, Neb. — The losers deserve their keepsakes, too. This is the story of a magical home run ball and the uncle who went in quest of it, knowing a family treasure when he saw one.
The tale does not have an entirely happy ending. It would have been better had Cal State Fullerton not let go of 5-1 lead Saturday, had not been beaten by Oregon State 6-5 in the opener of the College World Series.
And yet, and yet...the ball that Timmy Richards sent into the stands in left-center field in the first inning is a keeper. His uncle made sure of that.
Start with the guy who hit it. Richards has been a Titan so long, the coach calls him “the old man.” This was his 189th game. The senior shortstop turned down an 18th-round draft pick by Minnesota last year for one basic reason – he wanted a last shot at Omaha. He took the gamble, here he is, and he homers his first at-bat -- something nobody had done in the top of the first inning of a CWS Game 1 in 11 years. Storybook stuff.
“A childhood dream,” he said afterward, standing outside the locker room. “An adult dream for me. I’m 22 years old now.”
That Home Run in Omaha feeling...
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS)
Next, the guy who threw it. Jake Thompson came in 14-0 with 1.52 earned-run average and three homers allowed all season, part of the spectacular Oregon State staff that had led a 21-game winning streak. But on a 3-1 count, Richards put the Beavers behind 3-0 four batters into the game.
"It kind of felt like everything was going in the right direction."
Oh my, oh my!!!
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS)
Timmy Richards just CRUSHED an absolute bomb... 3-run shot gives the Titans an early 3-0 lead!
They didn't in the end, but never mind that.
And now, the guy who decided to retrieve it.
Brett Richards was walking the concourse for a better look at the ballpark when he saw the replay of the homer on the scoreboard and the ball being caught in the stands by a teenager. He noted the area, and he had an idea.
“You know what,” he thought to himself, “I could probably go give that kid a hundred bucks and he would gladly give me that ball. A lifetime memory for Timmy.”
That's a special ball for Timmy Richards... His Uncle Brett manages to get it for the trophy case!
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS)
Richards found the right aisle, asked around, and was directed to a group of teenage boys.
“They were all about 14 or 15, they all had the same all-star hats,” he said. “I sat next to them.”
And then, the conversation pretty much went like this:
Richards: “My nephew hit that, can I buy it off you?”
A nervous kid: “I don’t know.”
Richards: “I’ll give you a hundred bucks for it.”
The kid’s friends, standing in unison: “Give it to him! Give it to him!”
The kid: “Can I call my dad?”
Richards: “Absolutely. You don’t even have to sell it to me if you don’t want.”
The father, arriving from other a different seat location: “What’s going on?”
Richards: “That’s my nephew who hit the home run. I’d like to buy it for a hundred bucks.”
The father: “Give it to him.”
And that was the end of the negotiation.
“I gave him a $100 bill and he gave me the ball and I’ve got it right here,” Brett Richards said, reaching in his right pocket. “We’re going to give it to Timmy in a trophy case or something. He’s a senior, he’s been playing for four years, he’s a grinder, he’s been drafted in the major leagues three times now. It’s just a great memory. It’s a special moment.”
By the way, how high would Uncle Brett have gone?
“When he looked at me and he paused for a second. I said in my head 'All right, I’m going to go to $300 on this.’ I was glad he stopped at $100. It wouldn’t have mattered, though. It’s priceless.”
The look in his nephew’s eyes when he talked about that home run said as much.
