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Hail all the Judge! Yankees slugger Aaron Judge made baseball history on October 4, 2022, when he hit his 62nd ball out of the park this season. This breaks ties with Roger Maris for the one-season homerun record in the American League.
Judge’s 61st home run ball was fumbled by the fans and eventually landed in the Blue Jays’ bullpen. From there, it was picked up by a Blue Jays coach and then returned to the Yankees.
If this ball had been caught by a fan, experts estimate that this piece of history could have fetched more than $250,000 at auction.
As you might imagine, Judge’s 62nd ball, which broke Maris’ record, could potentially sell for millions.
In this article I will take a look at Aaron Judgeand then outline how the lucky fan who caught his record-breaking ball turned this windfall into an entrepreneurial opportunity.
Contents
Who is Aaron Judge?
Judge was raised by his adoptive parents in Linden, California, where he developed an early love of athletics.
Growing up, he possessed an impressive frame, which he used in three sports (baseball, football and basketball) during high school. In the end, he chose baseball and went on to play in Fresno State.
In 2013, Judge moved to the minor leagues, where he quickly impressed teammates, major league scouts and his opponents. In 2016, he joined the Yankees in the Dutch big league.
In his first game and his first-ever professional at bat, hit a home run. This was the first of many, leading to him breaking one of the most impressive records in baseball.
Sports memorabilia throughout history
Some people may wonder why Judge’s home run ball is so important. How can a small baseball be sold for so much money?
Sports memorabilia has always been an important part of sports history and collectors are willing to pay big bucks to buy their favorite pieces of history. Items previously owned or used by Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali and others are valued in the millions.
Related: This Baseball Card Just Sold For An Insane Amount Of Money
How do you turn sports memorabilia into a business activity?
Some entrepreneurs hunt for expensive sports memorabilia because they see it as a way to turn a lot of money into even more money. For example, a collector could sell his valuable sporting goods to the right buyer and then use that money to pay off his house, invest in stocks, or otherwise maximize the value of his earnings.
An enterprising sports fan could sell the ball and use that revenue toward a huge payday.
Let’s take a look at some entrepreneurial opportunities that can present themselves to that lucky fan who caught the home run ball.
Buying real estate
Throughout history, property has always been equated with power. If you own real estate, you are generally in a good position in the present times. You can rent these properties, sell them to someone else for a profit, or keep them as assets so they can grow in value over time.
Those who have invested in real estate often make significant profits. These individuals make their money work for them, rather than chasing money themselves.
Investing in the stock market
How the stock market is doing is generally a good indicator of how the economy is doing in general. It has certainly seen better days than it is now, but investing in index funds or other generally reliable stocks can lead to a payday later on. Use sound investment strategies that will put you in a good financial position in the long run.
Pay off debts
Throughout our lives, we must always balance our debt-to-income ratio. This value is what many lenders will look at when deciding whether or not to give us a loan, and it’s also a good general indicator of how well someone is doing financially.
While making more money can help improve this ratio, one of the best ways to improve it is to simply pay off debt. The person who caught Judge’s 62nd home run could probably pay off most—if not all—of debt by selling the ball.
Seeing the world through an businesskinda.com’s lens
Entrepreneurs always look at the world from a very specific point of view. In concrete terms, entrepreneurs are constantly looking for the next big thing and how they can be involved in it.
By spotting trends early, taking risks and using all the resources they have, entrepreneurs really make themselves stand out from the crowd.
Judge’s 60th and 61st home run balls are a piece of baseball history. The 60th ball was voluntarily returned to the Yankees by the fan who caught it. The other got an unfortunate jump and ended up in Blue Jay’s bullpen, before it was returned to the Yankees.
While it’s admirable that these folks decided to give this memorabilia back to the Yankees (and Judge in particular), there’s nothing wrong with treating said home run balls as the potential investment opportunities they represent.
Aaron Judge would probably like to have these balls in his collection so that he can reflect on his career and the impact he has had on the sport. However, if he doesn’t get them back, he’ll be fine.
When you catch such an important ball, you shouldn’t feel any pressure to return it. It is perfectly reasonable for you to keep, cherish, display, sell or do with the ball as you please!
Never feel bad trying to improve your lot in life by looking at these opportunities through an businesskinda.com’s lens. And if you do catch one of these balls in question, make sure you keep it safe from anyone trying to take it from you.
Janice has been with businesskinda for 5 years, writing copy for client websites, blog posts, EDMs and other mediums to engage readers and encourage action. By collaborating with clients, our SEO manager and the wider businesskinda team, Janice seeks to understand an audience before creating memorable, persuasive copy.