Citing ‘karma,’ fan returns home run ball

SAN FRANCISCO – A lifelong San Francisco fan had a piece of team history in his hands Thursday night: the home run ball that sent the Giants to the World Series.

Then he gave it back.

Frank Burke, who owns a transmission repair business in Oakdale, California, said that he wanted the hitter, Travis Ishikawa, to have the ball.

“I believe in karma,” he told the Associated Press. “I didn’t hit that ball. …. If anybody’s going to have that ball in their game room or trophy case, it’s going to be the guy who hit it.”

So, after having the ball authenticated by a Giants official, and being told that Ishikawa wanted it back, Burke went down to the clubhouse area and handed it over. Ishikawa shook hands, thanked him, and gave him a signed bat in return.

Burke said Giants officials asked him what he would like and he suggested World Series tickets but was told that was unlikely.

After doing a media interview the next morning, however, he got a call from the Giants. Burke now has four tickets to Game 3 of the World Series at San Francisco’s AT&T Park on Friday night.

Burke plans on taking his friend, Greg Leutza, who is battling cancer.

The two were at Thursday’s game because Burke wanted to do something special for Leutza and went searching for tickets after the Giants won the National League Division Series.