Almost a Quarter Century, one of the most famous domestic run balls in baseball history, sat on a shelf inside a case in the dust in Neel Danli's bedroom cell. Every time he will recover it and gaze with praise: Gold letter, round black smoke where the bat hit it and the signature that faded at the point that it was forward to the naked eye, save for a clue: “#2.”
Dunli grew up on the outskirts of New York city, but was picked up at the Yanki Stadium. His father, John worked as a seller for 57 years. John's three sons also did the same, in which Neil, who was in his car on 31 October 2001, took out five hours from the University of Georgetown, where he was a sophomore for Bronx.
The college could cut Danli's game, but he was not going to remember Game 4 of the 2001 World Series, damaging the upcoming organic chemistry testing. Two months after 11 sept 11 terrorist attacks, New York Yankis Trying to win his fourth consecutive world chain, and even though it means selling $ 10 programs, Dunli wanted to live inside the bus stadium, to soak the secret and moment's secret and aura.
As a clock near midnight on 1 November, the Derek Jetter stepped into the plate. Arizona diamondback Buung-Hune was working close to Kim. Diamondback had won two of the first three matches and one commanding was prime to take a 3–1 series lead, until Tino Martinez did not ambush Kim for the ninth inning home run, which sent the game into an additional innings. 10 in 10 with exteriorWanThe jetter dug himself 0-2 holes. He fought – Ball, Foul, Foul, Ball, Ball, Foul – Kim before 61Scheduled tribe The game pitch caught too much in the outside corner.
The jetter took the ball to the opposite area. It carried up over the fence to the left of the 314-foot marker under the dishonest pole of the right-region, where Dunli was standing. As a man was flipped on the railing in his right part and those who jumped with joy to their left, Dunlivi offered the ball, secured it with his right hand between chaos.
The ball is a time machine for Yankis, the day of the last great dynasty of baseball, and more than the Captain's career. For all indelible moments in your career – Jeffrey Maiir Home Run, The Dive in the Stands, 3,000Wan-Hit Home Runs, Flip -that ball that gave the jaler the nickname “Mr. November”, is probably the most prestigious, a fact that Dunli shared happily with her three children.
“If someone mentions it,” Dunli said, “They like,” Oh, this ball care about Daddy. ” ,
Dunli never spoke publicly about the ball and how he came under his possession. In recent months, however, they decided to sell it, and with auction After ending June 14, he talked with ESPN about that magical night – and how if he would no longer have a physical souvenirs, then he would be even more valuable.
“I am selling the ball,” said Danli. “I'm not selling the story.”
when he arrived At the Yanki Stadium at Halloween night, Dunli thought he would spend his evening with a goods with his father and brothers, selling hats and penetants and his best selling items, the shirsese on the back with number 2 of the jetter. Yankeys needed someone to pay programs that night, however, and because he was the youngest, Dunli attracted the small straw.
Hawking programs were not the worst assignments. Their cost is $ 10, which meant that Danli would not need to change or prepare an item like hot dog vendors. The programs were a high-legend business. He met the quiet people to meet – Dunli said that he gave programs to Adam Sandler and John Travolta Gratis – and handed over to hundreds of people that he hoped that he would be a memorable night.
But up to 10Wan Innings, Dunli was gassed. He had gone around the stadium for miles, which were reminges of the programs. He knew that the jetter was coming to bat and asked the nearby security guard if he could park himself in front of the right-field stand and count his money-if it was to finish the game.
“Wouldn't it be great if he hit a house run for us now?” Dunli asked the security guard.
Dunli knew how the jetter operates. At the age of 27, the jetter had already strengthened his legacy with a four world series win. In and out of him, he won a lot of games to him, including a game 1 of the 1996 American League Championship Series, when 12-year-old fan Jeffrey Maiir pulled a ball at the right-field fence to run a house in the days before the replay review. Yankis won his first world series in almost two decades.
“I am in the corner of the right-field, and I know Yankis history, obviously,” Dunli said. “I know Jeffrey Mair, and I know that the guard who stands next to me is in the first place: to prevent the events of Jeffrey Mair.”
Dunli reached his apron and caught hundreds of bills, preparations to organize them when he heard the rift of the bat. Arizona's right fielding Regi Sanders tracked the ball, it was disappearing towards the corner – right in Dunli. He played baseball in high school and is certain that he would have held the ball if he did not have cash in his hands. It jumped on her left and cared in front of Dunli. They dropped the cash and went to a different type of treasure.
He landed hard on the ball, hurting his ribs. They held it tightly because what other people expect it to be free. The person who had reversed on the barricade, Jimmy Brun said: “It came right for me. My fingers were on him. And he pulled it away. We had about 50 people on us.”
When the pile came again, Dunli stood and looked around and panicked. Not a single dollar remained on the ground. Maybe the ball will be more than the money purchased that night, but his first idea was: “My father is going to kill me.” Dunlvi's eyes then moved to a security guard, who said, “A football-gent-shaped 20 and 10s had a football-wing size.” When they counted the money, all the $ 2,120 priced programs sold by him were accounted for.
Dunli persuaded a security guard's chair and holding the ball in the air, still away from the victory of fans – including Brun, who handed over his business card to Dunli and told him that he wanted to buy the ball.
“The New York Kid in Me,” Dunli said, “I realized,” Okay, I only told 5,000 people that I have already got a very famous ball. I get out of hell better here. “
On returning to his father's stand, Dunli started thinking what he wants to do with the ball. He could sell it to Brun or the highest bidder. He could keep it. Nor did it seem right. The jetter provided a lot of incredible moments for Yenkis fans. This was Dunli an opportunity to repay her.
“We all wanted to be a jetter,” said Danli. “So I am thinking, he hit it, I am going to give it to him. And hopefully he will appreciate it.”
He returned to the Yanki Stadium in the early hours of the next day, ball in hand, and went to the right ground, where he posed for a picture with the ball. “I felt that I was giving the ball away forever, that I would never see it again,” Dunli said. The one who met Lee, a batby whom he knew, and asked him to bring the ball into the jetter. He hoped that the Jetter would emerge from the club house, shake his hand, probably would give him a signed ball or bat.
Lee returned without a jetter – and with a ball in his hand. Dunli saw black smoke. It was the Mr. November ball, only one unconscious signature, dated (“11–1-01”) and number 2.
“I knew I was going to bring it back,” Dunli said, “I must have given him a better pen.”
Dunlvi returned Georgetown and Sri November made their friends again with the story of the ball. It became a story in parties. His future wife, Annimarry heard the ball within the first 30 minutes of meeting Dunli.
The ball stayed at his parents' house as he ended underground and stayed there during his time at medical school. When Dunlvi moved to his place during his residence in New York City, it joined him. It moved to Chicago when the work took him there and finally returned to the connectivity, where he settled and today works as an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in the knees and shoulders.
Dunli, now 43, still loves Yanki and Busball. This taught him how to do mathematics, Backets provide monthly hours of entertainment through the baseball card, filled his early adulthood with the memories of his father and brothers.
“It just hit me,” said Danli. “Time is passing. I thought I would probably give it [my children] When I am old and gray. One day, I and my wife are at home, watching this ball. The case is really collecting dust in the closet. We have not painted it prominently in our home because children can take it and throw it into mud. I like, 'You know, there is something better that I can do with it.' ,
Dunli's daughters are 11 and 9, their sons 5, and he admits that “someday, of course, that is the opportunity that they are likeing, 'What did you do? We wanted it.' But I do not think so. An analysis using a video spectral compulsion clearly showed the signature and date of the jetter, even after the ink fade, and the ball was considered authentic. With a week left, the bid was up to $ 110,000. Dunli said that he is planning to donate a part of the income to the Zetter's Turn 2 Foundation.
Even though Yennakis lost the world series in heartbreaking fashion in 2001, it did nothing to reduce the meaning of that ball and that moment. The time around September 11 was disastrous, and baseball offered something around which the country could gather. Ten days after the twin towers fell, Mike went to Piaza's front house New York Met's Bring a piece of general position and hope. Yenkis represented the strength of New York and the meaning of the game for the city and the country.
Not only those feelings, and the ball, what to bear for Dunli, who want to thank the jetter for his unknown influence on Dunli's life later in all these years.
“Please tell him that I have told this story to my wife and we are celebrating 17 years of marriage next week,” he said. “This has changed my life, you know? And she says that it did not [convince her to date him]But who knows hell, isn't it? Perhaps it did it. Perhaps he saw my enthusiasm in telling a story and liked it.
“I like this moment very much. I have always been able to smile everyone on telling this story. I can tell this story to those who do not care about baseball, care about the game. No one can take away the story.”
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