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Why does everyone think the classy thing to do is to give the ball to Jeter free of charge? Derek Jeter made $33,000,000 last year and has made $205,000,000 in his career in salary alone. If I’m the guy, what’s wrong with asking him to pay for a ball that I caught that he wants - a ball that is easily worth every bit of what I owe in student loans.

Totally agree with you. The guy 'earned' the ball when he caught it. The value of the ball was almost $500K. That is a life changing amount for most people. Is the ball important to Jeter? Yes, it is. However, the ball is also important to others. The guy did not steal the ball, he did not step on a 3 year old's head to catch it ...he caught it fair and square. I also do not see why it is the 'right thing' to give it back to Jeter. It is like winning a lottery organized by (say) Donald Trump, and giving the winnings right back to him. Even that example is better (because one could say Donald was doing it for charity) ...in this case Jeter, a person who through his skill has made a lot of money, was given the ball by someone who is way underwater financially. As important as the ball is to Jeter, the guy caught it fair and square and I honestly do not see what is so 'right' or 'classy' about giving it bad. I would almost say it is foolish (and definitely financial folly of the highest order). What would be right/classy would be to pay for the groceries of the old lady down the corner whose pension cannot quite it make it through the month, or returning a parcel with an iPAD2 that was delivered to you in error, or returning extra change that you were inadvertently given by a cashier. You did not deserve the extra money, it came to you in error, and it is the right/classy thing to return it (no matter how much it may have been). However, returning a ball worth $500K that came into your possession fair and square, when you have debts of $150K, and returning it to a person who makes over $20 million a year, is honestly financial folly.

What would be ironic is if the chap has been praying every night for a miracle to happen to take care of his student debts, and the miracle (literally) lands on his lap ....and he promptly gives it back and gets back to praying for a miracle. There is a Sunday sermon in this story, and it is not about doing the 'right' thing.