"Throw it Back"

From Sports Library

This modern Wrigley Field custom was born in the early-to-mid 1980's perhaps around this date. It requires any fan in the bleachers, who manages to catch or retrieve a home run hit by an opposing ballplayer to return the ball by immediately throwing it back on to the field.

Because the prospect of throwing back a once-live ball--one, in fact, which was a major-league home run--is not inviting, but the fear of abuse that one may get by not following through on such a custom is so strong, many fans have elected to bring an already-used, insignificant baseball in to Wrigley Field--or, if they're industrious--a batting practice ball that has been gotten earlier in the day--with which to use as a "decoy" ball, substitting for the home run ball that the recipient wishes to hold on to.

Cub security follows an unspoken, "turn their heads" policy of not punishing any fan who throw a real home run ball back on to the field. However, they do punish any fans who are caught in the act of throwing back a substitute ball.

On July 19th, 2007 Freeport, Illinois nayive Tyler Diehl managed to grab Barry Bonds' 753rd home run ball as it fell into the left-centerfield baskets. Diehl could then be seen (on television, even) "throwing the ball back". When it was learned that Diehl had not thrown a real home run ball back, he was ejected from the park.