Why do ushers return home run balls at WCWS? Explaining college softball tradition
From year to year at the Women's College World Series, the Devon Park ushers serve one of the most distinct and noticeable traditions in college softball: returning home run balls to the families of players who hit them.
Unfortunately for fans, there are no home run souvenirs in Oklahoma City. Those are fetched by the tournament ushers, whose job it is return the ball to the batters' families, with the moment typically displayed on the TV broadcast.
The tradition has been around for years, and often results in some of the most heartfelt moments on the biggest stage in college softball. It's often an event that softball players and families alike look forward to, should they send a big fly at the WCWS.
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Here's everything to know about why ushers return home run balls at the WCWS:
Why do ushers return home run balls at WCWS?
It's unclear as to when the tradition started, but the practice of returning home run balls to families is believed to have been around for at least 20 years in Oklahoma City, which has served as the WCWS host since 1990 (except in 1996, when it was held in Columbus, Georgia).
The tradition is simple: If a player hits a home run, a stadium usher finds the ball, retrieves it and returns it to the player's family. It often results in a heartwarming exchange, with many looking forward to the potential moment when their team reaches the WCWS.
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Fans who catch home run balls aren't completely out of luck, however. They get to keep foul balls and, if they do happen upon a home run ball, the usher working the outfield bleachers trades an official stadium ball for it — albeit one not used in the game. The outfield usher then hands it to the dugout-side usher, who delivers the ball to the family.
As reported by The Oklahoman in 2021:
“I’ve been doing it 12 years,” a right field usher told The Oklahoman. “I don’t know if it was before then or what, but it’s (special). I mean how many kids get to hit a home run in the World Series?”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Why do ushers return home run balls at WCWS? Explaining tradition
