Followup on the Vernon Wells Heckler Ball – A Home Run Derby Exclusive
Posted by: Richie Rich in 2007 MLB, Blue Jays, Drunken Fans, Hecklers, News
This past Sunday, we wrote about some hecklers who got a ball from Blue Jays CenterFielder Vernon Wells. Wells politely gave back some of the heckling he was getting during the game …
The Toronto Sun originally told one side of the story … Vernon Wells’ side.
They’ve since come out with another article about the Heckler ringleaders, Jeff Raycher and Tom Montague.
Last Wednesday during a game at Cleveland’s Jacobs Field, Raycher and some of the other “Bleacher Creatures” had a running, good natured banter going with Wells that ended with Wells tossing a ball to Raycher complete with a tongue-in-cheek message.
“Usually all we get is a tip of the hat or a wave,” Raycher said of their heckling of whomever the centre fielder is that’s playing against their beloved Indians. “This night we had at least 100 or so (fans) jumping on board and getting on Vernon pretty good.”
Home Run Derby also had a chance to talk to Jeff Raycher – the guy who actually has the infamous ball. And as you can see, Jeff sent us pictures. I haven’t seen them anywhere else.
Home Run Derby: Based upon the report of heckling that I read in the Toronto Sun, I called your comments “lame-ass criticism.” Care to refute me?
Jeff Raycher: Our heckling was superb. You cannot get that kind of response (the ball) from something that didn’t work. Vernon has a great sense of humor, and we commend him for it.
HRD: Tell me what you guys were saying then.
JR: There were many chants … While the gist of the quote is close, it’s not the same … If you were there listening, you’d see it was humorous and not lame.
HRD: Did you ask for a ball?
JR: We never asked for a ball. That was his idea.
HRD: Do you plan on putting the ball up for auction on eBay, like I speculated?
JR: The ball is not for sale, so you won’t see it on eBay.
HRD: Any plans to keep on heckling?
JR: Next up: Road trip to Detroit in September for the Tigers/Blue Jays rainout make-up game (Sept 10). Vernon is getting another dose 
In the mean time, the Blue Jays still suck. GO TRIBE.
HRD: We are so going to Detroit – ROAD TRIP !!
Home Run Derby would like to thank Jeff Raycher for his time, his wit, and his pictures.
And we wish him continued success in heckling millionaires who play a kid’s game.
MAY 10 UPDATE – Read Jeff Raycher’s story in his own words … Only at Home Run Derby.
For those of you who don’t know super bowl is the championship game of the National Football League played every year. American football team baltimore ravens compete in the AFC north division of NFL, buffalo bills are the members of eastern division of the NFC in NFL, and cincinnati bengals are members of north division of NFC in NFL.
Entries (RSS)
May 8th, 2007 at 8:56 am
Man, I really thought this was a B.S. story. MLB players clearly master the art of writing on spheroidal objects.
I fully expect a Deadspin link for this.
May 8th, 2007 at 10:21 am
Well done, Richie, Well Done. Maybe you should be a journalist instead of a finance guy.
May 8th, 2007 at 10:23 am
One other thought. I believe this is the 100th post on the site. What a great way to mark the symbolic feat, with a symbolic heckle. Long live Homerderby.
May 8th, 2007 at 10:27 am
Holy Carp!
It IS the 100th post!
Thank you all for reading this stuff.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:24 pm
This is great. And it’s further proof that Cleveland has the best fans in all of sports. GO TRIBE
May 8th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Did Vernon really write “Dear Mr. Dork…”? Man, that’s lame.
May 8th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
Does “shut up” really need a hyphen?
May 8th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
It’d really help the credibility of the story if Vernon’s signature was actually on the ball.
May 8th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Given Vernon Wells told the story first to the Toronto Sun, there is no issue for Credibility. This really happened.
May 8th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
I missed that, good show
May 8th, 2007 at 9:06 pm
@ italiarican
Good call – its up on Deadspin now!
May 9th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
You been Farked and Stumbled Upon as well… ^_^
May 9th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
This … is … awesome
Welcome one and all from Fark and Stumbled Upon and USA Today
May 9th, 2007 at 2:15 pm
ball says:
Dear mr. dork,
Here is your ball! Can you please tell me what gas station you work at so when you are pumping my gas I can yell at you!!! Now sit down, shut up, and enjoy the game!
Your favorite centerfielder,
May 9th, 2007 at 8:19 pm
Hilarious story, kudos to blogger and blogee. Keith Olbermann on “Countdown” tonight noted the story, read the “autograph”, and showed one of the photos with credit to your site. If you want to TiVo, it will be about 12:30 am ET on the rerun.
May 9th, 2007 at 8:50 pm
WOW. This is THE coolest thing to happen to baseball since Field of Dreams. Kinda sad really…
May 9th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
Hillarious! Will gas stations really hire Cleveland fans? A scary thought!
May 10th, 2007 at 12:15 am
All right, I was at the game, sitting in the bleachers, Jeff Raycher did not start the heckling, he started the chanting, myself and my two friends started the heckling further up the bleachers and it worked over to the far end of the bleachers where he was sitting. Wells kept looking up at our direction and we noticed and started making gestures at him, nothing offensive, just playful, and he kept on looking at us, directly at us, and so we started stepping it up by yelling his name. Raycher and his group were yelling offensive things, we chose not to join in that BS.
But all that is beside the point, the real point is that Vernon Wells took it all with a sense of humor, he knew that the Blue Jays had no chance beating the number one team in baseball, so was more entertained by us than by the game. If anyone tries saying he was being threatened, or was irritated by it, they are as clueless as Raycher is for thinking he started the heckling.
GO TRIBE!!
May 10th, 2007 at 12:58 am
Nu-uh, my friends and I started it. We heckelled Wells three weeks ago.
May 10th, 2007 at 1:00 am
…and yes, after we heckelled him, we heckled him.
May 10th, 2007 at 3:09 am
You should also run a spellcheck on Nu-uh.
May 10th, 2007 at 9:50 am
has anyone ever wondered why baseball players always have ball point pens with them when they play? never seen it happen in any other sport – but baseball… they’ve gotta have there blue BIC at all times..
May 10th, 2007 at 10:50 am
From a LA Dodger bleacher bum, this is AWESOME!!! Now THAT’S a ball I’d love to have!!!
Ice said something that is true: It’d had be great if Vernon had signed the ball…despite there being no doubt that it’s authentic. Without Vernon’s signature, he’s going to have many non-believers – thinking that the heckler wrote on the ball himself – as time passes. (He’s going to have to keep this article as proof!)
If it was me, I’d see if I could get his signature on the ball after-the-fact…although I’m not sure if Vernon’s in the “giving mood†after all the abuse!!!
Still, I’d give it a few months – or a year – then see what I can do to get his signature on the ball. (But from some of the abuse I hear during games…GOOD LUCK!)
May 10th, 2007 at 4:00 pm
vernon Wells obviously has a great sense of humor that many MLB players do not have.
Rather than abising him, you should aplaud him.
Hecklers are almost always the most insecure, lame assed people and I think you are just pissed off that Wells pegged you acuratley.
So what gas station do you work at?
May 10th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
Geez, I am such a terrible typist
May 10th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Read the Heckler in his own words.
We’re the Vernon Wells Hecklers
May 15th, 2007 at 10:28 am
This is great – glad to see that there are players who still have a sense of humor and enjoy the game. Good job at getting the scoop, too.
November 29th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
This is hilarious. I went to school with Vernon and just googled him to see what he’s been up to besides a lot of money and came across this story. He’s always been a good guy with a great sense of humor.
Hecklers are one thing, hecklers that are vulgar and profane are another.