Opinion: Can I keep the baseball I caught?

What would you do if you caught a baseball during the MLB playoffs? Give it to a kid nearby or keep it? This very scenario played out this week, with a fan deciding to keep the ball.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1024x682+0+0/resize/1024x682!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F08%2F68%2F1884dab84d7aafb22dc23149203f%2Fap26281086247695.jpg' alt='Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Enrique Hernández bats during the fifth inning in Game 4 of baseball's National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, in Atlanta.'/><p>What would you do if you caught a baseball during the MLB playoffs? Give it to a kid nearby or keep it? This very scenario played out this week, with a fan deciding to keep the ball.</p><p>(Image credit: Colin Hubbard)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5982500' />