San Francisco Giants’ Travis Ishikawa (45) heads for home on a walk-off three-run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of baseball’s NL Championship Series on Oct. 16, 2014, in San Francisco. The Giants won 6-3, and advanced to the World Series.SAN FRANCISCO – A lifelong San Francisco fan had a piece of team history in his hands Thursday night: the home run ball that sent the Giants to the World Series.
Then he gave it back.
Frank Burke, who owns a transmission repair business in Oakdale told the San Jose Mercury News that he wanted the hitter, Travis Ishikawa, to have the ball.
“Ishikawa is the guy who hit the ball,” Burke said. “I’m just the lucky guy who caught it.”
So after having it authenticated by a Giants official and learning Ishikawa wanted it back, Burke went down to the clubhouse area and handed it over. Ishikawa gave him a signed bat in return.