Milestone balls leave fans with a choice: return it or sell?

By NOAH TRISTER
AP Baseball Writer

Sal Durante was 19 when he caught Roger Maris’ record-breaking 61st home run in 1961. He sold the ball for $5,000, and it was returned to Maris as part of the deal. That story sounds downright quaint by today’s standards. But it’s a reminder that even six decades ago, fans who caught famous souvenirs faced a tricky choice. Should they keep the ball, sell it, or give it back to the player who hit it? Now Aaron Judge is one home run shy of tying Maris for the American League record.