Why is Catching a Foul Ball So Exciting?

Credit: Flickr, SethSquatch.

 I think the excitement is related to the crowd. When you catch a foul ball, suddenly you rise out of the anonymous masses. Out of thousands of fans and against all the odds, you get chosen. The universe loves you, and you have the gift to prove it.

Credit: Flickr, Dizzy-eyed. (Check out the arms reaching upward, to the heavens.)

Of course, there are other, less mystical reasons why catching a foul ball is so exciting: the indirect contact with famous players, the thrill of an athletic achievement, the danger. But being loved by the universe—that has to count for something.

Credit: Flickr, Malingering.

Related Posts about Baseball:

All posts about baseball, including posts on sliding and rebellion,  the catch and sharing,  feeling good in crowds, and basketball vs. baseball.

All posts about Field of Dreams (and baseball), including posts on ALS and moonlight.

Vet with One Arm Makes Amazing Foul-Ball Catch (Video) 

I also love this comparative, historical detail: during WWII, foul balls caught in the stands by fans were sent to the troops. See Richard Crepeau, “Baseball and War,” in The Cambridge Companion to Baseball, p. 87.