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'Ball Hawk': Brewers fan has caught 85 home run balls

Posted at 9:15 PM, Oct 16, 2018
and last updated 2018-10-17 06:54:14-04

The ultimate souvenir from any baseball game is catching a fly ball. One group of men and women from Milwaukee has made it more than their mission to get them and have become their own kind of home run ball club.

Shawn Bosman and his friends are not just making grabs at balls hit in the games. Bosman is what's called a ball hawk. He has caught dozens of game home run balls.

"That is what I do, 85 of them," he said. "70 are from Brewers games."

He showed us catching Eric Thames's home run ball on Aug. 8 this year.

And he was wearing neon when he caught Josh Bell of the Pirates' home run ball last year at Miller Park.

"I outreached the guy here," said Bosman pointing himself out.

His talent for catching home run balls started in 2009 when he caught his first. Now he has his mom doing it and others. He has even become friends with others he has seen catching home run balls at the stadium like Jake Stark.

Stark made friends with the group, and he has been doing it since 2001. He's caught 17 game home run balls.

The group added Nathan Klein and his brother Aaron Klein, 14, this year. They have not caught any game home run balls, just some from batting practice.

"My goal right now is to get one," said Aaron Klein. "I haven't gotten one. Hopefully, next year at least get one."

So what is the secret to catching all the home run balls?

"Be at the game, pick a seat in fair territory and keep your eye on the ball," said Bosman.

But he admits he doesn't give away all his secrets.

"If I were to tell you maybe I am not walking away with as many," said Bosman.

But he does say if people show up in his section and ask how to do it, he does try to teach them.