Kansas City Royals World Series Final Out Ball Coming Home

Ever wonder what happened to the ball from the final out from the Kansas City Royals World Series victory over the Mets? Well, wonder no longer, because it is in safe hands.

The ball from the final out of the World Series is quite the historical item. For teams that have gone long stretches of time between championships, that ball can take on mystical proportions, and even spark controversy over the ownership. Just look at the spat between the Red Sox and Doug Mientkiewicz over the ball that resulted in the final out from the Red Sox World Series victory in 2004.

While the whereabouts of the ball from the final out of the Kansas City Royals Game Five victory over the Mets may have been unknown, it turns out that it was in safe hands all along. Drew Butera, who played in that final inning of Game Five, still has the ball from the championship clinching strikeout of Wilmer Flores, hanging on to it through the celebration that ensued.

For those who may be concerned that there would be another Red Sox-Mientkiewicz spat over the ball, there is no reason for alarm. While Butera has taken that ball from the final out for parties with friends and family, he has it secured in his Florida home with the plan of giving it back to the Royals.

"“The ball belongs to the group of guys who won it together, so it’s better that the Royals have it. They can display it for the fans. The guys will be able to come back and see it. This is bigger than me. It belongs to Kansas City,” Butera said."

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Even though Butera says he was offered $25,000 for the ball, it speaks volumes to the nature of last season’s team that selling the momento never crossed his mind. The Royals were a true team, an entity whose performance may well have been greater than the sum of their parts. In giving that ball back to the Royals to display for their fans, instead of keeping it on a mantle someplace, Butera is keeping with that mindset.

It should not be a surprise that this would be Butera’s final decision. The Royals made a point of celebrating their championship with the fans, and no one will forget the turnout at the victory rally on that Tuesday. As Butera said, the ball belongs in Kansas City.

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While Drew Butera caught the final out of a World Series, that will be the only link between he and Doug Mientkiewicz. There will not be a question of where the ball from the final out will end up – it will soon be in the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame for anyone to see.