Rays OF addresses his big gaffe with Shohei Ohtani home run ball
May 7, 2023; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Jose Siri (22) runs the bases after hitting solo home run against the New York Yankees in the fifth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Jose Siri donated a very valuable souvenir to a fan on Saturday night, but he did so unknowingly.
Shohei Ohtani blasted a walk-off grand slam to lift his Los Angeles Dodgers to a 7-3 win over the Rays at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. The homer also happened to be Ohtani’s 40th of the year. Earlier in the game, Ohtani stole his 40th base of the season. That means Ohtani’s grand slam made him just the sixth player in MLB history to join the illustrious 40-40 club.
Siri tried to make a play on the ball, but it bounced off some fans in the front row and back into the field of play. Siri then picked the ball up and tossed it back into the stands before trotting off the field.
Obviously, Ohtani and the Dodgers would have liked to have that ball. Siri told reporters after the game that he “had no idea” the ball represented a huge milestone for Ohtani.
“We just got walked off. I threw it to a fan,” Siri said.
#Rays CF Jose Siri said he “had no idea” of the significance of the ball that #Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani hit for a walk-off grand slam to join 40-40 club Friday night. “We just got walked off,” Siri said. “I threw it to a fan.”
— Mike DiGiovanna (@MikeDiGiovanna) August 24, 2024
There is no reason to doubt that. We highly doubt anyone in the Tampa Bay dugout kept track of the fact that Ohtani had his 40th stolen base earlier in the game and that the grand slam was his 40th home run of the year. If anything, Siri was just being a nice guy by letting a fan have the souvenir even after the ball ricocheted back onto the field.
The Dodgers can probably track the ball down for Ohtani, but it may cost them.