Kirk Gibson's 1988 World Series home run ball
by Ed Moran



First the video plays in real time. Then it plays a second time in slow motion. My uncle Carlos and my sister Jasmine are highlighted in the circle. The video is blurry up until the last few frames. You can see him wearing a black t-shirt and a gray zippered sweatshirt. I tried to guess and highlight the path the ball took. It helps when you know where it ended so my first idea was to find my uncle and sister in the video.

I spent many hours looking for them until I found them. If you really pay attention to the area where the crowd seemed to be converging, you know the ball had to be nearby. There are two men in particular that stand out. One is wearing white and the other one is wearing a green shirt. They are literally diving over people to get to that ball. And they are both getting closer to where my Uncle is. Slowing down the video really helps.

Now my Uncle took a lie detector test when we were interviewed by the folks of Sports Detectives. He didn't hesitate to taking the test but it was unfortunate that he didn't pass it. I think he was just very nervous. Regardless, I believe him 100%. I've always believed him. Why lie? He is not a baseball fan. I will continue my search for that ball. I know who he gave it to. It is just a matter of retrieving that ball from where it is located.

Here they are with the Kirk Gibson baseball



Here they are now, 20 years later.