Drabble by Kevin Fagan for August 20, 2014

I’d keep the bloody thing. You’ve gotta take what blessings you get.

Echo takes it and throws her batting practice ball back, allowing Norman to keep his

This is why I dread live sporting events. Too many fans filled to the eyeballs with liquid courage.

What does every want to bet that the drunks are from the “other team” than Norm’s team.

Would this be a sign of public intoxication?

Is this an actual custom? Throwing back the visiting team’s home runs? I’ve never heard of this before.

No, this is not a custom. I have never heard of this either.

Inbred social customs like this are one major reason that I don’t go to live sporting events.

I never heard of this either. I would keep the ball and just ignore those idiots.

I’ve seen it at the local MLB team. Personally, I’d keep it because how many times do you get a chance to catch a ball? I attended well over a dozen games before I was able to get a foul ball. It should be up to the person who caught it, not drunk and rowdy nearby fans.

I caught one once (ground rule double, it bounced into the stands, basically into my lap). I took it home, was afraid to play with it because I might lose it. It got lost at home within a year, instead. But the memory is what matters.

One game I went to the best part was watching kids chase foul balls, the game was hopelessly dull. Next game there were hits and home runs everywhere, great game. Keep the ball.

“…will Norman finally develop an ounce of courage, man-up and keep his long sought-after baseball in spite of the idiots? Or will Norman cave again, embarrassing Echo to the point of abandoning the relationship which leaves Norman a crushed, dejected loser once again? Tune in tomorrow for the exciting continuation of ‘Drabble’!!!…”

Likely, Echo will take on the drunks and beat them to a pulp…

That is the custom with some fans. I was at a Mariner’s home game where one of the Orioles hit a homer and it was caught. I don’t think the guy was paying attention, because when someone yelled, “throw it back!” he did. Even M’s fans were stunned, because that was Cal Ripken’s last game in Seattle. That night the scenario was on the sports news. The sportscaster capped it by commenting, “What a Moron!”

Has not spread to Atlanta. We admire those who consistently perform well against us, especially Chase Utley, Daniel Murphy, Jason Werth and the injured Jose Fernandez (and we would admire Giancarlo Stanton except we are afraid to pitch to him.)