MIAMI (AP) -The Florida Marlins fan who says he was the first to catch Ken Griffey Jr.’s 600th home run ball said Wednesday that he hopes it winds up in the Cincinnati slugger’s possession.
Justin Kimball, 25, also wants a Miami-Dade court to prevent the fan who the Marlins say caught the ball on Monday night – a season-ticket holder identified only as “Joe” – from selling it until the ownership issue can be resolved.
It could not be determined Wednesday night if Kimball had filed anything in court. An after-hours call to his attorney’s office was not answered.
“I just want to see it end up in the right hands,” Kimball said. “That’s my main goal, that it ends up in Ken Griffey Jr.’s hands. That’s all I care about.”
Kimball said he caught Griffey’s historic home run in a wool cap, only to have it ripped from his hands by someone else in the right-field seats. Video does not seem to support that story, and footage shows the ball landing in the glove of the man identified as “Joe.”
Marlins president David Samson said he is certain “Joe” caught the ball, and Major League Baseball has authenticated that the ball in the man’s possession is the true 600th homer.
Griffey has said he would like to have the baseball, which experts say could command up to $100,000 at auction.
Griffey is one of only six players in major league history to reach the 600-homer mark.
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