“He’s not my player, he’s not my guy, I don’t deserve the ball,” Hydes told the Detroit News on Friday night. “I reconsidered. One hundred percent, I’m either going to give it to Pujols or to the (Baseball) Hall of Fame.”
Cooperstown might be the ball’s next stop after Pujols’ comments to USA Today Sports on Friday night.
“I don’t want it, brother,” Pujols was quoted by Bob Nightengale as saying. “(Hydes) can keep it. He had a chance to give it to me (Thursday), and he declined. That’s fine. It’s his right. So, no need for him to change his mind now. Let him keep it.”
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Hydes told the News (and Pujols via Facebook earlier Friday) that he did not want any money for the ball, which was never authenticated.
The Tigers were offering him no cash, but rather memorabilia and a meet-and-greet with Pujols, when they met with Hydes and his companions in the left-field stands at Comerica Park. Hydes, 33, told the News the team was making a “hard sell,” so he responded by walking out of the stadium.
Tigers vice president Ron Colangelo said in a statement Friday that team personnel acted appropriately. From the News:
FAGAN: Attempts to low-ball fan embarrassing
Hydes told the News he was swayed by Pujols saying postgame that Hydes was within his rights to keep the ball. He called Pujols a “class act” and was trying to contact him to deliver the ball.
Hydes won’t go away empty-handed if he does give up the ball: He will receive a generous supply of hot dogs from Hebrew National after expressing a desire for the Tigers to resume selling the product at Comerica.
