Fan interview: Who caught d'Arnaud's first HR?

by 2 August 26, 2013

I was sitting down the third base line watching Travis launch a deep fly ball. We stood up yelled "Ohhhhhhhhh" and then it happened. The ball narrowly cleared the wall in to the LF Party City Deck. We jumped and cheered, snapped a couple photos and then my cell phone started blowing up with twitter notifications. The girl who ended up with the ball was wearing our Piazza "RETIRE 31" t-shirt. How fitting. After the game she came down to our Love For Lisa benefit in McFadden's and walked away with two of the raffle prizes. Pretty sure yesterday was Lee Weiss' lucky day. We caught up with Lee tonight via e-mail for a mini interview: When did you find out you'd be on the Party City Deck for the game Sunday? I actually only bought the ticket the day before. I have wanted to sit on the Party City Deck since it opened. It is one of the only sections where I have not watched a game. I heard about The 7 Line's Love for Lisa event (my Mom is a breast cancer survivor) and the weather looked perfect for baseball so I checked on Stubhub Saturday afternoon. Lucky for me, Party City Deck seats were available.

Did you catch the HR on the fly?

Unfortunately, I just snagged it off the ground. I'm sure as stories go, by the time I tell my grandchildren in 40 years, I will have made a diving, barehanded catch.

What was your initial reaction?

Disbelief! I just got back from a baseball road trip. I went to The Field of Dreams in Iowa and played catch with my Dad. Is this heaven? Then we drove up to Minneapolis to see the Mets-Twins game. I must have taken 30 pictures of d'Arnaud at bats hoping to catch a shot of his first major league hit. He didn't end up getting a hit until the next night at Citi but it turns out I eventually caught something a whole lot better than a photo.

Did it ever cross your mind to keep it?

No, I knew it was d'Arnaud's first home run and he would want to have it.

What happened after you had the ball? Did someone from the Mets approach you about a trade? What did you get?

Almost immediately, Citi Field Security approached me and asked me if I would trade it in. A few innings later Security escorted me below the stands and traded me a d'Arnaud autographed bat and baseball for his first home run ball.

Any superstition about wearing our Piazza 31 shirt that day? Did it bring you good luck?

It was the first time I wore The 7 Line Piazza 31 t-shirt. I chose that shirt specifically because I want Piazza's number put up on the wall directly behind the Party City Deck along Seaver, Hodges and Stengel. The shirt is batting 1.000 so I'll definitely be wearing it not only when Piazza is inducted in the Mets' Hall of Fame later this year but anytime I sit in home run territory in the future. Thanks Darren...Lets Go Mets!