Phil Ozersky is one fortunate dude.
Now you might be wondering... Phil who? No, he's not an athlete, but he did manage to catch one of the greatest souvenirs in sports history.
Let's flash back to 1998. Guys were absolutely whackin'em out of the park during this era (and we would later find out why), and Mark McGwire in particular was on a tear. The Cardinals slugger managed to jack 70 homers, a record that stood as the highest total of all time before Barry Bonds broke it in 2001. Phil happened to catch that 70th home run ball and after the Cardinals offered a signed bat, ball and jersey, the former reportedly only asked if he could meet McGwire instead. Well, Mark apparently didn't agree, and Phil ended up walking away with $3 million.
That's a power move Phil, power move!!!!
According to the East Bay Times, Ozersky was 26-year-old genetic researcher at Washington University in St. Louis at the time he recovered the ball. The East Bay Times added Ozersky made a $250,000 donation to the Cardinals' charity with his earnings.
ESPN released a new 30 For 30 on McGwire and Sammy Sosa's home run race in 98' (Sosa smacked 66), so check it out for a more in-depth look at the big 7 0. In hindsight, it's tough to blame Phil for his decision.
(H/T Darren Rovell)
