Just over a decade ago, Alan Schuster, a devoted Virginia family man, got his cup of coffee in the big leagues, well, kind of. He snagged Big Papi’s 500th home run. After fifteen minutes in the limelight, Alan essentially disappeared.
September 12. 2015
Meanwhile, Schuster sold the company he created, mygameballs.com, a site devoted to fellow ballhawks, and he returned to private life … building Lego sets.
I enticed Alan to come out of the wilderness to talk about his magical night one more time and what he’s been up to.
Me: It has been a minute or two since you snagged David Ortiz’s 500th homer. Now that you have a little distance, what’s your fondest memory of that magical evening?
SCHUSTER: I don’t think my answer is any different today than it was 10 years ago. Three memories have really stuck with me, and I don’t think I can single one of the three out as my favorite. The first was the moment I had possession of the ball in my glove. The feeling was indescribable, a combination of complete elation and also complete disbelief that something so improbable had actually happened. The second was the moment that I came face-to-face with Big Papi, truly a larger-than-life figure. I felt honored to be part of his big day. And lastly was the moment I celebrated with my friends after security fetched them from their seats and escorted them to the locker room. I had left them an hour or so earlier, going on what they probably thought was a fool’s errand: trying to catch the ball. And there I was holding the ball in my hand while they were beside themselves with disbelief. Surreal moment for sure.
Me: So you snagged Big Papi’s 500th, sold your site, mygameballs.com, and then you disappeared from social media and elsewhere. What happened?
In 2013, Alan announced that peers had voted Pittsburgh’s Rick Sporcic myGameBalls.com Minor League Ballhawk of the Year. Sporcic (pictured here) snagged 1,012 balls (a new MGB record) over the course of 68 games, averaging 14.88 balls per game (also a new record), and 54 game home run balls (MGB record).
SCHUSTER: It was a tough decision to sell the site, but I really didn’t have the time to maintain it. My two daughters and their activities were increasingly taking up lots of time, and I just wasn’t able to put in the effort to keep the site growing. After I sold the site, I wasn’t exactly trying to disappear; I just wanted to step back and let the new owners do their thing. I stayed involved with the ballhawking community as best I could, although I haven’t been to many games in recent years.
Me: What do you miss most about social media? What’s it like to go cold turkey on social media?
SCHUSTER: I really miss the day-to-day banter on Twitter, especially being able to highlight the notable achievements of various ballhawks. I never really quit social media, just went from an active participant to a passive observer. I continue to keep an eye on the ballhawking world, especially Zack Hample’s excellent YouTube channel and, of course, myGameBalls.com.
Me: You started Ballhawk Fest, a convention for ballhawks. Has anyone tried to keep it going?
SCHUSTER: To my knowledge, there hasn’t been a Ballhawk Fest since I sold the site. I’d love for somebody to pick up the mantle and try to revive it. We did five or six of them, and they were all a ton of fun. It’s really a sight to see when 15-20 hardcore ballhawks are all running through the seats at the same ballpark.
Me: You’re a Lego enthusiast. How’d you get the Lego bug? Did you find Lego, or was it the other way around? Which creations are you proudest of?
LEGO Rendition of the long-since demolished Ebbets Field in Brooklyn (photo, Alan Schuster)
SCHUSTER: My brother randomly got me a Camden Yards Lego kit for Christmas about ten years ago, and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed building it. The final product made a great display feature in my house, so I told him to keep them coming. He’s given me a different stadium every Christmas since then, and I’m running out of spots to display them without annoying my wife. A dream of mine is to eventually build a man cave with all thirty stadiums on display.
TSC: Which ballhawks are you still in touch with, if any?
SCHUSTER: Quite a few, actually. Off the top of my head: Zack Hample, Doug Hakey, Alex Kopp, Grant Edrington, Rocco Sinisi, Eric Abneri, Shawn Bosman, Todd Cook, Dennis Mora, Devin Trone… there’s probably some others I’m forgetting at the moment, too.
TSC: Do your daughters share your passion for baseball? Are they softball players?
SCHUSTER: For years, I was the only sports fanatic in my house, but two years ago, my oldest daughter got dragged onto the middle school softball team at her small Christian private school because they were short players. She was reluctant to join and wasn’t particularly into it, especially after her team lost its first game, 25-0. But towards the end of the season, her skills started to come along; she started having fun, and she realized she could be a solid player if she put in the effort. So she’s played a few seasons since, and I’ve served as head coach for some of her teams. We’re both having a ton of fun with it. I hope to take her to her first MLB game sometime soon and maybe snag a ball or two. My younger daughter is seven and isn’t particularly into sports just yet, so with her, I build Legos, play cards, and do various arts and crafts.
Me: What’s next for Alan Schuster?
SCHUSTER: I’m in a great place. I work from home and have a flexible schedule that allows me to be really involved with my family, friends, neighborhood, and church. I’m really loving the softball coaching thing. I’m able to share my passion for the game with kids and also spend quality time with my daughter. And she also plays on one team where I’m not a coach, and on that team, I’ve had a chance to show off my ballhawking skills at games. At a recent tournament, I caught a foul ball on the fly and received a bunch of compliments from other parents about how easy I made it look.
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Jon Hart is the author of Unfortunately, I was available illustrated by Coverkitchen
