The fan who caught the ball on Albert Pujols' 2,000th career RBI said Friday that he had changed his mind and would not be keeping the souvenir. Pujols became only the third player in Major League Baseball history to drive in 2,000 or more runs in a career -- joining Alex Rodriguez (2,086) and Hank Aaron (2,297) -- with a solo home run in the Los Angeles Angels' win over the Detroit Tigers on Thursday at Comerica Park. The fan, Ely Hydes, said Thursday that he had decided to keep the ball. However, he reversed course and told The Detroit News on Friday night that he will give the ball -- the first he has caught at a major league game -- to Pujols or the National Baseball Hall of Fame. "I slept on it," Hydes told The Detroit News. "All I ever wanted was to sleep on it. I slept on it and I woke up and I think [Pujols] is a class act. "He's not my player, he's not my guy -- I don't deserve the ball." Hydes told the newspaper that he doesn't want any money for the ball, which can't be authenticated by Major League Baseball, and that he made his initial decision because of pressure from the Tigers' staff to hand it over. The Tigers disputed that, saying the staff "conducted themselves in a professional manner," according to The Detroit News. Pujols had told reporters Thursday that he wasn't upset that the fan kept the ball, and he said Friday that Hydes could hang on to it. "I heard that the guy wanted to give it back, but he can keep it," Pujols told reporters. "I said what I had to say yesterday. I think he deserves it. He's a fan. Or he can give it to the Hall of Fame." The Associated Press contributed to this report.<doc-sep>Ely Hydes, the man who retrieved Los Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols’ historic home run but planned to keep it, changed his mind Friday and now says he would like to return the ball to Pujols or give it to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Well, Pujols has changed his mind, too, and now doesn’t want the baseball that represents his 2,000th RBI. “I don’t want it, brother,’’ Pujols told USA TODAY Sports. “He can keep it. He had a chance to give it to me (Thursday), and he declined. That’s fine. It’s his right. “So, no need for him to change his mind now. “Let him keep it.’’ Hydes, who told reporters Thursday that he planned to keep the ball himself, or possibly give it to his brother, told the Detroit News on Friday that he no longer wants it, either. Opinion:Who is the 'rightful' owner of Albert Pujols' milestone ball, Pujols or the fan? More:Albert Pujols’ 2,000th RBI ball could fetch big money, but fan wants Pujols or Cooperstown to have it “I slept on it," Hydes told the The Detroit News. “All I ever wanted was to sleep on it. I slept on it and I woke up and I think (Pujols) is a class act. “He's not my player, he's not my guy, I don't deserve the ball. I reconsidered. 100%. I'm either going to give it to Pujols or to the Hall of Fame. “I don't want any money.’’ Well, Pujols certainly wasn’t going to pay for it, and a day later, with no guarantee the ball is the actual one he hit for the homer, said he is no longer interested. “If he doesn’t want the ball,’’ Pujols said, “he can give the ball to Cooperstown. Hopefully then, everyone will be happy. “But I don’t want it. He deserves it. It’s his decision.’’ Hydes told reporters that he originally declined to give the ball to Pujols because he felt pressured by the Tigers’ security staff, rejecting offers to meet with Pujols, or be given other memorabilia, such as autographed items from Angels All-Star Mike Trout and Tigers star Miguel Cabrera. The Tigers steadfastly disputed Hydes’ allegations. “We spoke with members from the Comerica Park operations and security staffs that had contact with the guest, and we have no doubt that our staff conducted themselves in a professional manner when speaking with the guest,’’ Tigers vice president Ron Colangelo said in an email to USA TODAY Sports and other Detroit outlets. “After generous offers of both Angels and Tigers autographed memorabilia, including a meet-and-greet with Albert Pujols, our staff informed the guest that a decision needed to be reached as the Angels would be leaving the ballpark soon after the game ended. “The guest decided he wanted to keep the ball, and our staff left the area.’’ Now, it’s up to the Hall of Fame whether it even wants the baseball, considering the ball was never authenticated. The drama continues. Follow Nightengale on Twitter: @BNightengale<doc-sep>After Albert Pujols knocked in his 2,000th RBI on Thursday when the Los Angeles Angels played the Detroit Tigers in Detroit, it looked for a while like that baseball was never going to be seen by Pujols again. But after the fan who caught it initially refused several offers from the Tigers to retrieve the ball in exchange for memorabilia, he had a change of heart the next day. Ely Hydes, a Tigers fan, caught the 2,000th RBI — a home run — at Comerica Park. And according to the Detroit News, shortly after the ball landed in his hands, the Tigers started asking him what it would take for him to give up the ball so Pujols could have it. Bartering with a fan for an important baseball is normal. In fact, that’s often how those balls make their way back to the players who hit them. The Detroit News spoke to several friends of Hydes’ who were with him at the game, and they revealed how the negotiations went down. “According to Hydes’ friends, the first offer was a Pujols autographed baseball; the second an autographed ball and a meet-and-greet with Pujols; the third a Pujols autographed ball, a meet-and-greet and a Pujols jersey; and the fourth all that, plus some Miguel Cabrera memorabilia.” Not too shabby! But Hydes declined all four of the offers. As for why, his friends said it was because the Tigers employees tasked with getting the ball back (including the team’s head of security) were giving Hydes the hard sell, “pressuring” him to take one of the deals they were offering. The employees also may have assumed that Hydes was just in it for the money. According to Hydes’ friends, the Tigers employees told him that because the ball was hit into the stands, it couldn’t be authenticated. That means it would be worthless on the open market — but only if Hydes wanted to sell it. If he wanted to keep it, the authentication wouldn’t make a difference. And Hydes wanted to keep it. Albert Pujols reacts to his third inning solo home run to reach 2000 career RBI's while playing the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on May 09, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. (Getty Images) The Tigers told the Detroit News that they don’t agree with the characterization that Hydes was pressured, but Hydes obviously felt like he was. Hydes said that these were the last words of the Tigers employee trying to barter with him: “This ends now when I walk away.” Story continues He did walk away, and Hydes kept the ball. He plans to either give it to his brother (a St. Louis Cardinals fan) or keep it for his soon-to-be-born child, telling the Detroit News, “I don’t care about the money. It’s an heirloom.” Pujols himself seems to be at peace with Hydes’ decision. Here’s what he told reporters after the game: “I told the guys, ‘Just leave it. Just let him have it.’ I think he can have a great piece of history. We play this game for the fans, too, and if they want to keep it, I think they have the right. I just hope he can enjoy.” Despite Pujols’ response, a number of fans on social media believe Hydes should have given the ball back. But balls hit into the stands belong to the fans who catch them, regardless of the significance of any particular ball. Pujols himself agrees with that, telling reporters Thursday night that “[Hydes] has the right to keep it. The ball went in the stands.” Hydes didn’t want money in exchange for the ball. He didn’t want any autographs, tickets, meet-and-greets, or swag. He just wanted to keep the ball he caught — a ball that has an incredible baseball story attached to it — to give to someone he loves. Pujols said that he plays baseball for the fans, so it seems right that a fan will keep the ball. More from Yahoo Sports:<doc-sep>Detroit — Ely Hydes just wanted a moment to collect himself and give it some thought, and the Tigers' staff didn't give him that. And so, said Hydes, that is the reason why he walked out of Comerica Park on Thursday afternoon with the baseball representing Los Angeles Angels slugger Albert Pujols' 2,000th career RBI. One day later, given some time to think it over, Hydes said he has changed his mind. He plans to give the ball to Pujols or the National Baseball Hall of Fame. "I slept on it," Hydes told The Detroit News over the phone on Friday night. "All I ever wanted was to sleep on it. I slept on it and I woke up and I think (Pujols) is a class act. "He's not my player, he's not my guy, I don't deserve the ball. "I reconsidered. One-hundred percent, I'm either going to give it to Pujols or to the Hall of Fame." And before you ask, no, this isn't a cash grab. "I don't want any money," Hydes said. Hydes, who attended Thursday's game with two buddies he met in the Peace Corps, caught Pujols' third-inning home run. He didn't immediately know the significance of the home run until the Tigers PA announcer made an announcement that Pujols had become the third official member of MLB's 2,000-RBI club, and also when ballpark security immediately began to swarm him. The Tigers' security staff wanted the ball for Pujols, and made one offer after another — negotiations started with a Pujols signed ball and ended with a Pujols signed ball, jersey, meet-and-greet and some memorabilia from Tigers star Miguel Cabrera. Hydes turned all that down, in large part, he said, because he felt the Tigers were pressuring him to turn the ball over. A "hard sell," Hydes said. The Tigers disputed that Thursday, and again Friday in a statement from vice president of communications Ron Colangelo, who was not present for the interactions between Hydes and Tigers staff on Thursday. "We spoke with members from the Comerica Park operations and security staffs that had contact with the guest, and we have no doubt that our staff conducted themselves in a professional manner when speaking with the guest," Colangelo said Friday. "After generous offers of both Angels and Tigers autographed memorabilia, including a meet-and-greet with Albert Pujols, our staff informed the guest that a decision needed to be reached as the Angels would be leaving the ballpark soon after the game ended. "The guest decided he wanted to keep the ball, and our staff left the area." Hydes originally thought he might give the ball to his brother, a lifelong fan of the St. Louis Cardinals (Pujols’ first team), or Ely's soon-to-be-born child. He never did decide; he just knew he was going to hold on to the ball — the first ball he's ever caught at a major-league game — because, he felt, the Tigers' staff tried too hard to get him to give up the ball. The Tigers staff, Hydes said, told him repeatedly they couldn't authenticate the ball — balls into the stands can't be officially authenticated because of chain-of-custody concerns — and therefore the ball was worthless on the open market. That pitch backfired, as Hydes felt insulted that they assumed it was all about the money to him. Hydes, though, was impressed after the game — a 13-0 Angels win over the Tigers — when Pujols was very gracious, saying it was Hydes' right to keep the baseball. And that seemed to sway Hydes' decision, and he's trying to reach out to Pujols to find a way to get him the ball. Meanwhile, the whole ordeal has netted Hydes some impressive attention and also some swag, too. He made a comment in The Detroit News article Thursday about his love of Hebrew National hot dogs, and Hebrew National was so appreciative, it is sending him a summer's supply of dogs, plus other swag, including a company softball-team jersey. "I was high on adrenaline," Hydes said Friday, looking back on the whole ordeal, which led to dozens of interview requests — local and national — and at least one Angels fan reaching out to offer him $25,000 for the ball. "I caught a baseball, and I walked out." tpaul@detroitnews.com Twitter: @tonypaul1984<doc-sep>
Apparently the fan who said he was going to keep Albert Pujols’ 2,000 RBI has had a change of heart. Tigers fan Ely Hydes, said Thursday he had decided to keep the ball, telling Fox Sports Detroit that he “just came here for a beer and a game.” But he reversed course on Friday, telling The Detroit News that he will give the ball — the first he has caught at a major league game — to Pujols or the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Pujols hit the impressive milestone Thursday by blasting a solo home run in the Angels’ win over the Tigers, becoming just the third player in Major League Baseball history to drive in 2,000 or more runs in a career. He joined Alex Rodriguez (2,086) and Hank Aaron (2,297). “I slept on it,” Hydes told the paper. “All I ever wanted was to sleep on it. I slept on it and I woke up and I think [Pujols] is a class act. “He’s not my player, he’s not my guy — I don’t deserve the ball. I reconsidered. One-hundred percent, I’m either going to give it to Pujols or to the Hall of Fame.” Hydes insisted the delay in his decision was not because he was looking for some cash. “I don’t want any money,” Hydes said. Hydes said the reason he didn’t originally want to give up the ball was because he felt pressure from the Tigers’ staff to hand it over, according to the newspaper. The Tigers, however, told the paper their staff “conducted themselves in a professional manner.” As for Pujols, he reiterated his position on Thursday that he was OK with the fan keeping the ball. “I heard that the guy wanted to give it back, but he can keep it,” Pujols told reporters Friday. “I said what I had to say yesterday. I think he deserves it. He’s a fan. Or he can give it to the Hall of Fame.” — with AP