WARMINGTON: Edward Rogers not only Torontonian to profit from Springer Dinger

Everybody knew that was a great catch by Michael Angeletti.  

What he didn’t know is it would end up being a $30,000 catch.  

Blue Jays owner Edward Rogers is not the only Torontonian still counting the ways the World Series has benefitted him. Angeletti got a piece of those playoff profits himself. Not for hitting a homerun. But for catching one.  

He scored big with that move, but, like Rogers, not as big as it could have been had the Blue Jays won the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.  

But he loved that story in Monday’s Toronto Sun by Rob Longley which included the headline “What was World Series run worth to Blue Jays? Edward Rogers is still counting the ways” and the subhead “Toronto’s winning ways have paid off for executive chairman Edward Rogers, with added benefit of also owning Sportsnet.”  

Rogers’ cheque was definitely bigger. But Etobicoke’s Angeletti didn’t mind the one he earned as well.  

Angeletti and Springer connected forever

Angeletti’s fame came in the game that put the Jays into the Fall Classic — when he caught George Springer’s Game 7 American League Championship Series against the Seattle Mariners in the stands and became the hottest story around baseball.  

After that epic play in the stands Angeletti told me, “when I heard George hit it, I knew it was good but I was not quite ready. I was texting my cousins and had to drop my phone, put on my glove and jump up and grab the ball. I didn’t have my glove on right so it bounced up and I secured it with my other hand.”  

He added: “the whole thing is like a dream.”  

His first move was to try to get the ball to Springer but the star was so focused on celebrating with his teammates and on the upcoming World Series, he didn’t seem to even realize Angeletti was standing in the batter’s circle waiting to talk to him.  

Valuable baseball

It feels more like Springer was really saying ‘you go ahead and do what you want with that ball.’ No. 4 has since said he was cool with whatever the Niagara & Toronto Tours owner and operator wanted to do with the souvenir. When Sun photographer Jack Boland and I went out to see Michael on Day One, the gregarious and humourous sports fan wasn’t really sure what he wanted to do. 

There was value in keeping the ball and value in selling it. He said he had one offer for $60,000 but decided to hang on a bit longer. And if the Blue Jays had one more break, and won the World Series, it’s obvious that ball would have been highly coveted. Still, Angeletti decided to sell it and went to Goldin auction house to help him.  

The first bid in the auction was for $10,000 US. The final bid was for $26,840 US. With the exchange it was close to $30,000 Cdn. After fees Angeletti’s cut was $22,000 US. — an estimated $30,306.21 in Canadian funds.  

Or in translation, it was not just a homerun for Springer and the Blue Jays. It was a Dinger for Angeletti, too. Much deserved. Good for him. It couldn’t have happened to a better guy. 

$30K payday

“Happy result,” the affable Angeletti said. “30K moves the needle.”  

But it also provided him a chance to go off on a great trip with his girlfriend to savour his good fortune.

“Just got back from a cruise,” he said, joking it was a “little Springer Dinger celebration.”  

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He knows if the Jays could have won the whole thing the ball would have been worth more. But he’s content with the way it worked out. Now, like all Jays fans on a day when the team made another key signing, all he can think about is spring training and the 2026 season.

“To have lost in such heartbreaking fashion will only toughen our resolve as a fan base and a city,” Angeletti said. “I believe our city and team will be stronger and more poised to reclaim the world sporting spotlight.”

While we may never know who bought that famous Springer ball, we will always remember who caught it.