The baseball that Troy Tulowitzki snared and turned into the 13th unassisted triple play in major-league history should soon be in his trophy case. Currently, the piece of baseball history is securely stashed in a Ziploc bag at the home of baseball fanatic and KOA radio broadcaster Steffan Tubbs.
“I’m not going to hold the ball for ransom or anything, or try to sell it on eBay,” Tubbs said Tuesday. “What I would like is to give it to ‘Tulo’ personally. That would be great. If the Rockies wanted to give me a jersey or a bat in return, that would be fine. But I want the ball to go to its rightful owner.”
Tubbs, co-host of KOA’s “Colorado Morning News,” was with his family at Sunday’s game at Coors Field, sitting near the dugout, when Tulowitzki turned his trick against the Braves. The rookie shortstop, caught up in the moment of the whirlwind play, threw the ball to first baseman Todd Helton, even though three outs had already been recorded. As Helton approached the dugout, he threw the ball into the stands, as he often does.
“I didn’t even think about it at the time,” Helton said.
Tulowitzki, whose jersey and hat are already designated for the National Baseball Hall of Fame, was thrilled to hear that the ball was in good hands.
“That’s great,” Tulowitzki said. “I would love to meet him. I would love to display that ball at home. It’s part of baseball history.”
