SEATTLE — Glenn Mutti-Driscoll had a piece of baseball history in his hands.
And the Seattle Mariners fan held onto it … for about 15 seconds.
With the right-field stands at T-Mobile Park turning into a party scene during the eighth inning of the Mariners’ AL West-clinching victory Wednesday night, Mutti-Driscoll emerged from a chaotic scene with Cal Raleigh’s 60th home run ball.
Raleigh’s historic 389-foot blast landed in section 108, and the ball bounced off several outstretched hands amid a scramble before Mutti-Driscoll finally grabbed it.
A licensed hydrogeologist and the founder of a Seattle company called Strata Geosciences, Mutti-Driscoll was attending the game as a part of a company outing.
His group expected to possibly see a Mariners’ postseason clincher, but probably never imagined one of them would land a milestone baseball that could potentially be worth $100,000 to $300,000.
Despite both the monetary and sentimental value of landing such an item, Mutti-Driscoll quickly made the incredible decision to give the ball to 12-year-old fan Marcus Ruelos, who was sitting nearby and told a Seattle TV station that ball bounced off his mother’s head in the madness.
“The whole thing was surreal,” Mutti-Driscoll told Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. “It just was happening so fast, and like, standing there with it, and I was just looking down at a kid, and he deserves more than me. ...
“And I guess if it's helping bring whatever -- baseball's reputation [has] those sorts of feel-good stories.”
The story captivated everyone in the stands as fans began taking photos and video of Mutti-Driscoll, with some bowing in the “we’re not worthy” motion.
“I was a minor celebrity,” Mutti-Driscoll told Kramer.
Ruelos and father were whisked away by Mariners employees and eventually made a deal to trade the ball to Raleigh in exchange for a signed bat and the chance to watch batting practice.
“I was crying tears of joy. … I started kissing the ball,” Ruelos told Seattle’s NBC affiliate KING 5. “It did taste like dirt, but I just couldn’t believe.”
Mutti-Driscoll left the park with just the memory — but it didn’t stay that way for long.
Mariners senior manager of communications Adam Gresch put out a social post Thursday morning, saying the team was looking for the fan who displayed this incredible act of kindness and generosity.
The team eventually located Mutti-Driscoll and invited him, his wife, Catherine, and their sons Ethan,14, and Aiden, 10, to the ballpark for a meet-and-greet with the Mariners superstar catcher.
Raleigh gave the group a signed bat and two signed baseballs in appreciation.
Kevin Jackson is the chief content officer for cllct. He attended Wednesday's game as a fan and was seated just a few rows behind where the ball landed in section 108 at T-Mobile Park.