Fan gives historic Pujols ball to Hall of Fame in late son’s memory

The man who caught the ball that delivered Albert Pujols’ 2,000th career RBI — and initially drew attention for his decision to keep it — delivered it to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum last month, according to the Detroit News.

The story begins with Ely Hydes’ last-minute trip to a Detroit Tigers game against the L.A. Angels in May, where he snagged a home run ball shortly after arriving. He initially had no idea the ball he had came off Pujols’ bat. Hydes also didn’t realize his newest possession had historic implications.

With that hit, Pujols became the fifth player all time to amass 2,000 RBIs, joining a small group that includes Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth. Hydes, 33, was immediately inundated with proposals to buy the ball — one fan reportedly offered him US$50,000 — including several aggressive offers from the Tigers’ organization, the Detroit News reported at the time.

Hydes was perturbed by the pressure and reluctant to capitulate. In a statement to the Detroit News, the Tigers challenged his account and asserted their staff had “conducted themselves in a professional manner.”

Pujols, for his part, had no qualms about the decision, telling reporters after the game: “He can have that piece of history ... He has the right to keep it. The ball went in the stands.” The next day, Hydes told the newspaper that after sleeping on it, he planned to give the ball to Pujols or the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He wanted no money in return, he said.

But that didn’t stave off the hordes of angry baseball purists on Facebook and other social media platforms, who had already tracked Hydes down and harassed him for his decision.

What his attackers likely did not know is that for Hydes, the ball carried a sentimental value that no dollar amount could match.

His 21-month-old son, Cyrus Arlo Maloney, died in June 2018 after he suddenly became ill, according to the Detroit News. Named after Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, Cyrus and his father had attended more than two dozen games together before his death.

In many ways, the ball represented yet another memory Hydes could cherish. Now, that memory will be on display in Cooperstown — thanks to a hand-delivered donation from Hydes in Cyrus’ name.

Speaking with the Los Angeles Times Tuesday, Pujols said he was happy with Hydes’ decision.

“That’s good — it belongs there,” he said. “That’s where it needs to be.”

Hydes is now a father to a three-month-old daughter named Violet and took her to her first Tigers game last month. He plans to make new memories by showing her the baseball dedicated to her brother.

“I’ll want to show her and tell her the story, just the whole thing,” Hydes told the Detroit News “The good things that happened ... and the cautionary tale of social media.”