Christian Lopez

...this dude caught the baseball from Derick Jetah's 3000th hit via home run nd he "returned" the ball back... ans estimated worth of $250,000 before even being on any market...  Today I'm listening to my daily sport shows and everybody's praising how unselfish this guy is nd how this generation usually doesnt practice that type of decency and all this crazy crap... and I'm just thinking that regardless of any philantropy Derrick Jeter nd the Yankees are involved in, they obviously make a killing on merchandise, concessions, tickets, TV endorsements, etc. which is in the billions of dollars yearly. 
 
So why not keep the baseball? 
 
Im not saying the guy's stupid, but his action was... nd not only that, it was re-fucking-tarded... how does Jeter's deserve that ball? It's tradition to go to a ballpark nd try to catch any baseball that comes out of play as a lifetime souvenir... if one as special as this comes my way, I'd see it as a blessing nd yes I would've kept it... I would've remained anonymous (kinda hard but possible) and keep the ball for 5-10 years, let some "mistery" surround it... then sell it. 
 
Why didnt somebody who needed the money catch that baseball? It was just like the lottery, except this time around a middle class American struck the gold... oh well... life goes on.

this dude has 100k in school loans that he needs to pay. doing the right thing is always doing the right thing. he got a lot of stuff from the yankees. "The Yankees rewarded Lopez for his decision by giving him signed balls and bats from Jeter and luxury box suites for the rest of the season -- including following the team into the postseason." 

i mean really? why is it such a big deal? it pays to do the right thing.

yea, eff all that. I would have sold it to the highest bidder but giving jeter the first shot at it lol.  Dude has money, $250k won't really bother him if it's that important.

@Airmax, I agree with doing the right thing on most instances (I'm not perfect) but giving the ball back's not a "right thing" at all, if anything it's the opposite... once a baseball is out of play, it belongs to the person who has secured the ball legally nd surely, like Lopez did... so the ball belonged to him, not to Jeter or the Yankees. And sure they gave him, tix, memorabillia, etc. but that's literally peanuts to them, not knocking their "grace" lol... but it really is peanuts... even if they win they go to the world series... last year I could've bought tix for me nd the wife for like $1,000 a pop (TX-SF) nd they werent nosebleeds... it's not NFL football u kno... plus they HAD to something for PR reasons, let that guy go empty handed after handing them a ball that could easily be valued at a million + -initial 250k value + only Yankee to have done it + Yankee who did it happened to be Derek Jeter + it was a home run... and sell the baseball years from now but before another yankee reaches 3,000 hits nd you're in for some dough- would've been PR nightmare, it was a textbook move.
 
@Jeebus, agreed... now that's the right thing to do imo... giving the Yankees and/or Jeter the opportunity to buy the ball whenever the person in posession of the ball decides to sell it.

I agree with you blanco. I would've kept that ball. Finders Keepers bitch! Jeter couldn't have expected to get that ball back. He just got lucky cuz this guys an idiot. Jeter should give the dude the ball back and even sign it. I mean it's not like he's hurting for cash. Dude probably doesn't bend over to pick up $100 bills.

[QUOTE=jeebus;398855]yea, eff all that. I would have sold it to the highest bidder but giving jeter the first shot at it lol. Dude has money, $250k won't really bother him if it's that important.[/QUOTE]
 
x's 11ty gazillion!:smiley-rofl::biggthumpup::smiley-rofl:

[QUOTE=a.blanco0905;398873]@Airmax, I agree with doing the right thing on most instances (I'm not perfect) but giving the ball back's not a "right thing" at all, if anything it's the opposite... once a baseball is out of play, it belongs to the person who has secured the ball legally nd surely, like Lopez did... so the ball belonged to him, not to Jeter or the Yankees. And sure they gave him, tix, memorabillia, etc. but that's literally peanuts to them, not knocking their "grace" lol... but it really is peanuts... even if they win they go to the world series... last year I could've bought tix for me nd the wife for like $1,000 a pop (TX-SF) nd they werent nosebleeds... it's not NFL football u kno... plus they HAD to something for PR reasons, let that guy go empty handed after handing them a ball that could easily be valued at a million + -initial 250k value + only Yankee to have done it + Yankee who did it happened to be Derek Jeter + it was a home run... and sell the baseball years from now but before another yankee reaches 3,000 hits nd you're in for some dough- would've been PR nightmare, it was a textbook move.
 
@Jeebus, agreed... now that's the right thing to do imo... giving the Yankees and/or Jeter the opportunity to buy the ball whenever the person in posession of the ball decides to sell it.[/QUOTE]

i believe it IS the right thing to do because obviously that balls means something to derek jeter in sentiment. it means nothing to anyone else other than money. those two things are not equal. could the yankees have given more, sure. but they arent getting the ball back, derek jeter is. could derek jeter have given him more, sure he could have, but maybe all the guy asked for was what he got? signed bat, ball, jersey, glove etc etc. 

i dont think there is really a right or wrong. and im not saying it would have been "wrong" for him to have tried to sell the ball, but is money really that important that you have to sell something that means so much more to someone else? jeter has put years of blood sweat and tears, into that one ball. if it was a base hit, if it wasnt a homerun and any of the greedy fans didnt have a chance at this ball it would be a non issue. maybe im the one with the skewed mentality.

@Airmax, it's all good... it's just a matter of opinion I guess. I would hv the same mentality even if I was a millionaire, however, just wanted to point out the fact that regardless of Jeter's feelings towards the ball, it was never his to begin with, it was the Yankees' nd once it was out of play it was legally and morally Lopez'.
 
@Ken, u made me laugh man, but I dont think dude's an idiot, I just think he never had to struggle for anything in his life + he's a goody 2 shoes (ironic I call him that, if u know Goody's story, lol.) Jeter should definitely sign the ball to up its value nd give/sell it to/for charity... fuck Lopez, lol.

put yourself in jeters shoes... for some people it's not about the skrilla, the status or anything like that.

right or wrong, he made another person feel great. to me that's better than any amount in the world.

I would have ebayed it...   unless the yankees or jeter was willing to cough up the dough... obviously report to the media $100K and get them to give me the rest in cash.

Lots of "feel good stories" floating around...However, he should've gotten professional advice and not just a knee-jerk reaction based on your "feelings" 
 
1- He doesnt have money, 
2- lots outstanding loans...
now he will have to taxes on all the "gifts" he has gotten...WITHOUT getting any actual CASH.  
 
Those box seats, balls, jerseys and any other "Special treatment" are all Taxable...[B]and will be. [/B]
 
Very stupid financial decision...if he conducts the rest of his life this way, he'll screw himself time and time again. 
 
The only person that will be left "feeling good" next April will be Jeter

i'm all about getting your money... but its a freaking baseball people. :pat:

and honestly i think the amount of our country's resources dedicated to pro sports is a travesty. and we all know most people who come into easy money end up fucking themselves over ultimately anyways, for all you know he could have saved his life by giving up the ball.

[QUOTE=brainneeded;399027]its a freaking baseball people. :pat:
[/QUOTE]
Agreed.  What happened to America...the general mentality of the younger generation is terrible.  No repsect, angry, and pompous.  We really fell off and could learn a lot from other cultures.

@Driftgirl, agreed 100% with that as well, dude should've seeked professional advice, weigh his options nd the least he could've done was sleep on it... and great point about all the "gifts" being taxable... it makes so much sense cuz the Yankees will hv to account for those things somehow nd it I dont thnk that was classifiable as charity. 
 
@Brain, it's not just a baseball... we're talking about an item that could've easily set any smart person up for life. 
 
I do agree that most people dont know how to act when they encounter easy money but that's a what if nd a different story.

$250k will not set you up for life..haha.  At least not in America.

^Maybe not you Prez, and I'm already set for life but if I wasnt I know I COULD make 250k work for me for the rest of my life...
 
@Driftgirl.... You predicted the future, lol... here's dude's probable tax bill...
 
[URL]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Buzzkill-Fan-may-owe-taxes-on-rewards-for-Jeter?urn=mlb-wp12427[/URL]

250k which was the base high estimate for this ball would not have set him up for life. especially not in ny. especially since he would have been taxed on it lol, he did what he thought was right. there is nothing wrong with that. he will be taxed between 5k and 13k for the seats. thats 4 luxury box suites for the rest of the season and post season valued at a min 32k. so lets see...taxes...non issue as he can sell a few of the seats to friends or anyone else to make his tax money back and enjoy the rest.

I'm with Airmax on this, and I applaud this guys actions.  It proves there are still some good people left, maybe there is hope.

funny, the dude is on espn right now talking about this exact same thing.

[QUOTE=a.blanco0905;399041] we're talking about an item that [B][I][COLOR=red]could've[/COLOR][/I][/B] easily set any [B][I][COLOR=red]smart person[/COLOR][/I][/B] up for life. [/QUOTE]
 
I'm from NYC (live in TX tho) so I know that the first thing I gotta do in order to stretch my money is move to the south, or somewhere affordable in PA or NJ. Nonetheless, I highlighted the words "could" nd "smart person" to let it be known that not everybody's capable of doing such a feat with 250k. There's also other factors, as to how do you want to live your life, kids, college, etc. but I stand by my opinion that for the most part, a smart person without any vices could make 250 large work for life... in America, just my opinion.

[QUOTE=a.blanco0905;399053]^Maybe not you Prez, and I'm already set for life but if I wasnt I know I COULD make 250k work for me for the rest of my life...
 
@Driftgirl.... You predicted the future, lol... here's dude's probable tax bill...
 
[URL]http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/Buzzkill-Fan-may-owe-taxes-on-rewards-for-Jeter?urn=mlb-wp12427[/URL][/QUOTE]
 
yeah, Prez is BAAALLLIN!!   :innoutrofl2: 
 
 
kidding aside, I knew that was coming...too much media for the IRS to overlook. 
 
 
250k isnt that much money if u plan on sitting on your ass and spending it like an idiot...If you cant make a lump sum like that work for life, then you are simply a worker. 
 
to accept a gift (and not money) is a lux afforded by those who either have money or simply debt free...which is nice as well
 
 He is not one of those two..he's just a fan who got caught up in the moment and listened to people (who dont have money themselves) and made [B]the absolute[/B] wrong decision. 
 
[B]EDIT:[/B] I felt bad for him because I thought he simply made a mistake but reading his statement to the press from that article...
 
[INDENT][I][COLOR=yellow]"Worse comes to worse, I'll have to pay the taxes," he told the Daily News on Monday. "I'm not going to return the seats. I have a lot of family and friends who will help me out if need be.[/COLOR][/I]
[I][COLOR=yellow]"The IRS has a job to do, so I'm not going to hold it against them, but it would be cool if they helped me out a little on this."[/COLOR][/I]
[/INDENT]I'm gonna go with IDIOT for this guy.  He should man up and say he made a decision too quick and would have done it another way if given another chance...not ask your friends and Fam to pay your Taxes. :pat:
 
No you will not get a break from the IRS...[B]We ALL have to pay our taxes[/B]. I pay an ASSLOAD of taxes and have done more than my fair share of REAL charitable events and donations....not a donation to a multi millionaire baseball player or a team that will probably write it off to sum form of 'charity'
 
Pay up suckah! :dance:

100K After taxes would have build him a very nice vip sedan... :pat:

Manchester-Nashua, NH Metropolitan Statistical Area...according to Forbes, but no guarantees..haha.

[QUOTE=DriftGirl;399069]yeah, Prez is BAAALLLIN!!   :innoutrofl2:[/QUOTE]
You're treading on thin ice.

why would he "man up and say he made a decision too quick and would have done it another way if given another chance" if he doesnt think he made the wrong decision. i dont think he made the wrong decision either. id pay the taxes or sell the seats. not that big a deal if you ask me. and who did he listen to?  he said he never thought about selling the ball, meaning he wanted to give it back to begin with.

Airmax..give it up.   Not everyone shares the same moral beliefs.  That's just life these days.

[QUOTE=airmax;399075]why would he "man up and say he made a decision too quick and would have done it another way if given another chance" if he doesnt think he made the wrong decision. i dont think he made the wrong decision either. id pay the taxes or sell the seats. not that big a deal if you ask me. and who did he listen to? he said he never thought about selling the ball, meaning he wanted to give it back to begin with.[/QUOTE]
 
Trust me, I understand where you're comin from....
 
I say that because he's in debt 100k already and trying to rely on friends and family to pay his new collection of bills...not a smart move
 
Even if he sells the tix/seats...he will be taxed on it as income. 
 
These items (balls, gloves,jerseys,etc..) are cataloged and reported to the IRS...Theres no way he can get out of it without paying taxes now that "tha man" has him in their sights. :sad:
 
 
sad part is that they probably have an IRS agent assigned to him already that will be anticipating (and estimating) his every move till tax time. 
 
In many peoples minds he did the what he felt was right...but that doesnt mean it was the right thing to do. 
 
He didnt 'think' at the time...but he really shouldve thought it over and consulted one of the many professional firms that specialize in helping people in that situation. 
 
Hopefully the Yankees will catch the story and pay the IRS taxes for him. 
 
just think:
The further the Yankees get in the playoffs=the more money those seats are worth= the more money he will owe. 
 
Thats just the way America has always been set up. Nothing is new or has changed
 
Im a chick, I love a feel good story that hits the heart and shows that not everyone is motivated by money...has nothing to do with trying to force ones morality on others or getting offended if others wont share your opinion. 
 
The story kinda hits the heart..... but realty hits a bit harder.

Not many would have gave it back. Even if he initially never thought of selling it he probably would have gotten some offers. Having so much debt he may have realized that the right move could be to sell it and at least be debt free, but now he dug a bigger hole. Good points DriftGirl. Later.

[QUOTE=rodneyc77;399071]100K After taxes would have build him a very nice vip sedan... :pat:[/QUOTE]
 
:smiley-rofl:

I thought about this and it's better to hold onto it....    When he retires he could cash in on the ball and it should be worth more by then.    OR hold onto it and wait for someone to contact him prviately on purchasing it in all CA$H

[QUOTE=a.blanco0905;398915]@Airmax, it's all good... it's just a matter of opinion I guess. I would hv the same mentality even if I was a millionaire, however, just wanted to point out the fact that regardless of Jeter's feelings towards the ball, it was never his to begin with, it was the Yankees' nd once it was out of play it was legally and morally Lopez'.
 
@Ken, u made me laugh man, but I dont think dude's an idiot, I just think he never had to struggle for anything in his life + he's a goody 2 shoes (ironic I call him that, if u know Goody's story, lol.) Jeter should definitely sign the ball to up its value nd give/sell it to/for charity... fuck Lopez, lol.[/QUOTE]
 
You know I woke up yesterday and thought to myself, How can I make blanco laugh. Guess I did good. lol

[url]http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/6765849/companies-line-help-new-york-yankees-fan-christian-lopez[/url]


At least he gets some relief for doing "the right thing." 


I still would have sold it though

^What a good samaritan...
 
[COLOR=red][B][I]"We want to recognize Christian Lopez, and in turn everyone like him, for doing the common sense thing and help him continue to live the High Life."[/I][/B][/COLOR]
[COLOR=black][/COLOR] 
[COLOR=white]I'm sure it had nothing to do with publicity, right? lol...[/COLOR]
[COLOR=#ffffff][/COLOR] 
[COLOR=#ffffff]At least he didnt hv to pay the taxes so that's good, I'm happy for him... nd yes I still would've sold it... nd it wouldnt've been immoral or wrong.[/COLOR]

I knoooow he's glad that happened. Im sure he was takin major heat from friends, fam and strangers alike. 
 
I dont think its fair for them to say he was "penalized" for "doing the right thing". 
 
[I]Income is income[/I]... we all get taxed, we all gotta pay...no exceptions or someone overly sensitive may get all butt hurt and whine about life being unfair. 
 
Thats Just tha way the cookie crumbles... 
 
Starting out in life as a cell phone salesman with over 150k in debt....prolly sucks big time.
 
Companies will get in while he's "hot" in the media and help out. We will never hear about this guy 6 months from now. 
 
What really sux is that Jeter didnt even offer to help the kid out...
 
shouldve sold it. :pat: