Red Sox lose World Series ball (again)

This is comical.  Of course, I don't understand the collector's drive to get a historic ball anyhow.  Just grab any ball from the game and put it in the trophy case.  Who's to know?  What's it matter?
--pws


from http://www.boston.com/sports/baseball/redsox/articles/2007/11/01/the_old_hidden_ball_trick/

The old hidden-ball trick: Club can't locate symbol of Series

By Nick Cafardo, Globe Staff  |  November 1, 2007

The ball. Where's the darned ball?

Here we go again.

We last saw the official championship souvenir in Jason Varitek's back pocket after the final out when the Red Sox wrapped up the World Series Sunday in Game 4 at Denver.

"I gave it to Pap [Jonathan Papelbon]," Varitek said yesterday. "It's out of my hands."

Efforts to reach Papelbon - who appeared last night on "The Late Show with David Letterman" - were unsuccessful, but his agent, Sam Levinson, told the Associated Press that the closer has no idea where the ball is.

Sox vice president Charles Steinberg said he knew only what he'd read: that Varitek put the ball in his pocket.

"I guess we'll have another story line as we head into November," Steinberg said. "I don't know where the ball is. I haven't heard anything about it."

Another Sox employee said, "I thought Tek had it. I thought he was going to give it to the team. Why would he give it to Pap?"

After the Red Sox swept the Cardinals in the 2004 World Series at St. Louis, first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz secured the final out of Game 4 from Keith Foulke and didn't hand it over until much public scrutiny and a sparring match with Sox CEO Larry Lucchino . Mientkiewicz contended it was his intention to present the ball to the Hall of Fame. He eventually did.

This year the game ball was not among the items listed to be collected for the Hall to display in Cooperstown.

Did Papelbon lose the ball while performing his "Riverdance"?

Looks like Ballgate lives.