TMZSports.com
The Chicago Cubs fan who stumbled upon a meaningful Elly De La Cruz home run ball is hoping to reunite the keepsake with its rightful owner … telling TMZ Sports he’ll hand it over to the Reds superstar if he wants it.
The 23-year-old shortstop dedicated Sunday’s performance to his older sister, who tragically died a day prior. He wore equipment with “RIP Manita, te quiero mucho” written on it … which translates to “RIP Manita, I love you very much.”
Elly De La Cruz chose to play today after recently learning about the death of his sister.
He then hit this home run and pointed to the sky and made a heart gesture. 🫶 pic.twitter.com/gGK1ukAWhC
— MLB (@MLB) June 1, 2025
@MLB
In the sixth inning of the matchup at Wrigley Field, EDLC hit a two-run dinger (the 50th homer of his career) that reached its final destination outside of the historic stadium … and Cubs fan Brendan Daly just so happened to be in the right place at the right time.
We caught up with the fan on Tuesday to ask Daly about his plans for the ball … and he said as soon as he learned of the circumstances surrounding the highlight, it became obvious what he’d like to do.
“As a human being, not only do I have the deepest condolences for him and his parents and his family, but it made me kind of stop and realize … what a feel-good story it would be to try to get the ball back to Elly,” Daly said.
Daly then shifted his focus to reaching out to anyone who could help him out … and he thinks he’s making progress.
“I finally got in touch with someone who has family high up in the [Reds] organization,” Daly said. “They’ve reached out to the president of the operations, and I’m waiting to hear from them.”
If Daly’s contact is able to help, the ball is in Elly’s court. But whether he wants the ball or not is a whole different story … and Daly is going to be thrilled either way.
“Once I get in touch, I’m happy to help facilitate a return,” Daly said. “If Elly does not want it, I got to be honest, I’m just as excited to keep a home run ball from Wrigley Field.”
Daly’s Facebook post about the ball attracted more than a thousand comments … but ultimately, he feels everyone is on the same page about what to do with it.
“I think we all share the same sentiment,” Daly said. “Deepest condolences to the De La Cruz family. We all have siblings, we all have daughters, parents. Losing a loved one is tough.”
