John Witt
Encyclopedia
John Witt American
known for catching a large number of Major League
baseballs. He is best known for catching over 5,000 baseballs at professional baseball games over the past 34 summers. Witt is also an author
, baseball columnist and actor
.
game at Comiskey Park
in 1977. Over the past 14 years Witt has spent time working for minor league teams as a clubhouse attendant, concession stand
manager, operations director and handling marketing and sales. Witt has also made money editing math textbooks, and openly admits having sold many of the balls he has caught for cash.
's from Major League baseball games.
On September 13, 1998, he grabbed Sammy Sosa
's 61st home run at Wrigley Field
in Chicago. Witt was actually not in the ballpark that day but was outside of left field standing on the corner of Waveland Avenue and Kenmore St. The ball came out just missing the apartment building across the street, bounced off a man's shin and then rolled right into the glove of Witt. Several regulars surrounded Witt and hustled him into a van for safety. Witt spent the next 30 minutes doing interviews, signing autographs and even had a visit from Jeff Idleson of the Baseball Hall of Fame
to authenticate that ball. Initially turning down a reported five-figure sum, Witt later sold the ball for $7,500 to a collector in Chicago
, who promptly returned the ball to Sosa one week later.
Witt has also caught other memorable and historic home runs over the years, including Dave Winfield
's 450th career home run, Bob Boone
's 100th career home run, Dante Bichette
's first career home run, Derek Jeter
's home run in game 3 of the 2003 ALCS
, Kevin Mitchell's home run in the 1989 NLCS
and home runs hit by Baseball Hall of Famer Eddie Murray
from both sides of the plate in the same game in 1987.
Button Fly Jeans commercials (501 Home Run Kings) produced by Foote, Cone and Belding. The commercial was directed by famed movie star and director Spike Lee
. In the commercial ironically Witt is ballhawking outside of Wrigley Field in Chicago. Witt appeared as an extra in several movies including a movie about baseball star Babe Ruth
titled The Babe
. Witt also appeared in the 2004 MasterCard
commercial featuring Boston Red Sox
fans telling what they would give up for World Series
tickets.
chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving
to create Baseballs 4 MADD. Through Witt's ballhawking pledges were made for each baseball that he caught during the 2009 baseball season. Catching a total of 113 in 2009, Witt helped raise $778 for Mothers Against Drunk Driving's mission to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking.
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
known for catching a large number of Major League
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
baseballs. He is best known for catching over 5,000 baseballs at professional baseball games over the past 34 summers. Witt is also an author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, baseball columnist and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Background
Witt caught his first ball at age seven, during a Chicago White SoxChicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
game at Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was the ballpark in which the Chicago White Sox played from 1910 to 1990. It was built by Charles Comiskey after a design by Zachary Taylor Davis, and was the site of four World Series and more than 6,000 major league games...
in 1977. Over the past 14 years Witt has spent time working for minor league teams as a clubhouse attendant, concession stand
Concession stand
A concession stand , snack kiosk or snack bar is the term used to refer to a place where patrons can purchase snacks or food at a cinema, fair, stadium, or other entertainment venue. Some events or venues contract out the right to sell food to third parties...
manager, operations director and handling marketing and sales. Witt has also made money editing math textbooks, and openly admits having sold many of the balls he has caught for cash.
Ballhawking
Since 1977 Witt has collected over 5,000 baseballs at professional baseball games in 35 seasons. Almost 4,000 of those are Major League baseballs (MLB). One hundred of the MLB balls are actual game home runHome run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
's from Major League baseball games.
On September 13, 1998, he grabbed Sammy Sosa
Sammy Sosa
Samuel Peralta "Sammy" Sosa is a Dominican former professional baseball right fielder. Sosa played with four Major League Baseball teams over his career which spanned from 1989-2007....
's 61st home run at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
in Chicago. Witt was actually not in the ballpark that day but was outside of left field standing on the corner of Waveland Avenue and Kenmore St. The ball came out just missing the apartment building across the street, bounced off a man's shin and then rolled right into the glove of Witt. Several regulars surrounded Witt and hustled him into a van for safety. Witt spent the next 30 minutes doing interviews, signing autographs and even had a visit from Jeff Idleson of the Baseball Hall of Fame
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
to authenticate that ball. Initially turning down a reported five-figure sum, Witt later sold the ball for $7,500 to a collector in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, who promptly returned the ball to Sosa one week later.
Witt has also caught other memorable and historic home runs over the years, including Dave Winfield
Dave Winfield
David Mark Winfield is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is currently Executive Vice President/Senior Advisor of the San Diego Padres and an analyst for the ESPN program Baseball Tonight...
's 450th career home run, Bob Boone
Bob Boone
Robert Raymond Boone is a former catcher and manager in Major League Baseball who was a four-time All-Star. Born in San Diego, California, Bob Boone is the son of a major league player, the late third baseman Ray Boone, and the father of two major leaguers: former second baseman Bret Boone and...
's 100th career home run, Dante Bichette
Dante Bichette
Alphonse Dante Bichette, Sr. is a former Italian-American Major League Baseball player. Bichette was a four-time All-Star as a member of the Colorado Rockies.-Career:...
's first career home run, Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter
Derek Sanderson Jeter is an American baseball shortstop who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. A twelve-time All-Star and five-time World Series champion, Jeter's clubhouse presence, on-field leadership, hitting ability, and baserunning have made him a central...
's home run in game 3 of the 2003 ALCS
American League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the American League Championship Series , played in October, is a round in the postseason that determines the winner of the American League pennant...
, Kevin Mitchell's home run in the 1989 NLCS
National League Championship Series
In Major League Baseball, the National League Championship Series is a round in the postseason that determines who wins the National League pennant and advances to Major League Baseball's championship, the World Series, facing the winner of the American League Championship Series. The reigning...
and home runs hit by Baseball Hall of Famer Eddie Murray
Eddie Murray
Eddie Clarence Murray , nicknamed "Steady Eddie", is a former Major League Baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He was known as one of the most reliable and productive hitters of his era. Murray is regarded as one of the best switch hitters ever to play the game...
from both sides of the plate in the same game in 1987.
Acting
Witt appeared in the 1990 series of Levi'sLevi Strauss & Co.
Levi Strauss & Co. is a privately held American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's brand of denim jeans. It was founded in 1853 when Levi Strauss came from Buttenheim, Franconia, to San Francisco, California to open a west coast branch of his brothers' New York dry goods business...
Button Fly Jeans commercials (501 Home Run Kings) produced by Foote, Cone and Belding. The commercial was directed by famed movie star and director Spike Lee
Spike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
. In the commercial ironically Witt is ballhawking outside of Wrigley Field in Chicago. Witt appeared as an extra in several movies including a movie about baseball star Babe Ruth
Babe Ruth
George Herman Ruth, Jr. , best known as "Babe" Ruth and nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Sultan of Swat", was an American Major League baseball player from 1914–1935...
titled The Babe
The Babe
The Babe is a 1992 biographical film about the life of famed baseball player Babe Ruth, who is portrayed by John Goodman.-Plot:The story begins in 1902 in Baltimore, Maryland, where a young Babe Ruth, troubled and not-so disciplined, is sent to the St. Mary's Industrial School for Boys, a...
. Witt also appeared in the 2004 MasterCard
MasterCard
Mastercard Incorporated or MasterCard Worldwide is an American multinational financial services corporation with its headquarters in the MasterCard International Global Headquarters, Purchase, Harrison, New York, United States...
commercial featuring Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
fans telling what they would give up for World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
tickets.
Charitable work
In 2009 Witt worked with the Orange County, CaliforniaOrange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is a non-profit organization in the United States that seeks to stop drunk driving, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and overall push for stricter alcohol policy...
to create Baseballs 4 MADD. Through Witt's ballhawking pledges were made for each baseball that he caught during the 2009 baseball season. Catching a total of 113 in 2009, Witt helped raise $778 for Mothers Against Drunk Driving's mission to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking.