TIFFIN, Ohio — Cousins Matt Coleman and Patrick Steyer had tickets to sit in left field at Progressive Field on Saturday and watch their favorite team, the Cleveland Guardians, take on the Detroit Tigers in game five of the American League Division Series.
They came in with hope for a win and left with just that, as well as one very lucky baseball.
"On the first pitch that's on the bat, it goes up through the air, and I knew it would be a grand slam," Steyer said.
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Steyer ended up going home with Lane Thomas' fifth-inning grand slam ball, which Coleman caught in the air, that put the Guardians ahead of the Tigers.
"It stayed up there forever," Coleman said. "I've caught baseballs before but I'm like 'holy cow, don't drop this one.'"
Coleman, the baseball coach at Calvert Catholic Schools in Tiffin, says after catching the ball and celebrating with fans, he gave it to Steyer without hesitation.
"When it hit the mitt, it was just pandemonium in the stadium, and just looking at the emotion of Patrick, I just knew it was the right thing that he was the rightful owner of that ball," Coleman said.
Steyer now cherishes, especially as he is battling leukemia, which he is in remission for.
"It's really special," he said of holding the piece of Cleveland history.
It was an important moment for Coleman, too.
"It was just such a special memory," he said. "Just kind of wanted to soak in and think about the comparisons between '16 and 2024 and Dad and Patrick and what they embody."
In game six of the 2016 World Series, Coleman went with his late father, LeRoy, and eventually got the baseball hit by Jason Kipnis. That ball also went to the front row of the left field bleachers at Progressive Field.
"Patrick told me on the way up, I had forgotten until we were on the way home, but he told me he had a dream about my dad and having to do with the 2016 World Series the night before, so there's some sort of divine intervention happening there," Coleman said.