Lopez' generosity surprised many fans and TV/radio hosts who've been debating it ever since. The Yankees rewarded the 6-foot-5 former college football player with a personal meeting with Jeter, season tickets for the rest of the year and signed bats, balls and jerseys.
It's hard to argue with Lopez' sportsmanlike attitude. But let's face it, we're in an economic recession. Lopez, a former defensive tackle at St. Lawrence University, told WFAN sports radio he still has a few hundred thousand dollars in loans to pay off, says CNBC's Darren Rovell. It's not like he's making millions either. The recent college grad works as a cell phone salesman.
Some New Yorkers on talk radio scoffed at Lopez as Kid Lollipop, the all-day sucker, and said they would have said no thanks to the Yankees, held on to the ball and sold it on the open market for potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars. There's Jeter fanatics out there who've dedicated their rec rooms and basements to worshiping the Yankees shortstop. Who know what somebody would have paid on eBay for the specially marked ball? $250,000? $500,000?