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October 31, 2007
BOSTON (AP) - The last ball from the Boston Red Sox's 2007 World Series victory might not get back to the team after all.
Jason Varitek caught the final strikeout to complete the four-game sweep of Colorado, then tucked the ball in his back pocket as he ran to the mound to celebrate.
Varitek said after the game that he would give the ball to the team, but on Wednesday he said he gave it to closer Jonathan Papelbon.
"I already gave it to Pap," Varitek said. "It's out of my hands."
The ball was the one Papelbon used to strike out pinch-hitter Seth Smith for the final out of Game 4 on Sunday night.
"I'll give it back to the team," Varitek said at Coors Field. "Maybe we won't have a controversy this time."
After the 2004 World Series, ownership of the last ball became an issue when Doug Mientkiewicz, the Red Sox first baseman who caught the final out, kept the ball. Team president Larry Lucchino wanted it back, and eventually a settlement was reached where Mientkiewicz loaned the ball to the Red Sox for a year and then donated it to the Hall of Fame.
Neither Lucchino nor Red Sox spokesmen immediately returned calls or e-mails seeking comment on Wednesday.
Posted by Mike McDermott 
at 4:06 PM | Permalink
