I’ve heard a piece of advice from people who have gained some notoriety on the Internet, “Don’t read the comments.”  Apparently, even the stories that are heart-warming can elicit questionable responses.

I was reminded of this advice when I recorded a podcast this week with a gentleman responsible for an inspiring act of kindness. Glenn Mutti-Driscoll was at a Seattle Mariners baseball game on September 24, 2025 when he caught the 60th season homerun ball hit by Cal Raleigh.

That homerun put Cal Raleigh into the same elite group of American Major League Baseball players to hit more than 60 homeruns in a season. That group includes Babe Ruth (60 in a season of 154 games), Roger Maris (61 in 162 games) and Aaron Judge (62 in 162 games). A remarkable feat in a game with 100 mph pitches.

But what makes the story remarkable is that Glenn held on to this historical ball for about 15-20 seconds… and then gave it away to a 12-year-old boy named Marcus that was sitting near him. What he told me when we talked was that he simply knew it was the right thing to do.

He didn’t do it for the notoriety. In fact, when the New York Times published an article about it the next day, they didn’t have Glenn’s name when the article went to print. It took some time for the Mariners to track down who Glenn was because he handed off the ball and thought that was the end of it.

Here’s where the ripples of this act of kindness are so beautifully visible. If Glenn had kept the ball, he would have likely given it to Cal and gotten a signed bat that night. It would have been a great story to tell friends and family but would have died down pretty quickly.

But Glenn instead choose to give it to Marcus, then Marcus was able to give the ball to Cal Raleigh and meet him. Then the Mariners found Glenn and he was able to bring his wife and boys aged 10 and 14 to meet Cal Raleigh, get a signed bat from Cal, and go to the next night’s game. In addition, he’s inspired all sorts of articles and conversations like the I had with him on the How To Share podcast.

That seems like a far bigger effect. I love that because we don’t often get to see the ripples from what we do so clearly.

So when the Internet commenters chime in to say Glenn was stupid for giving away a ball that he could have sold for somewhere around $250k, I think they’re striking out. Glenn hit a grand slam with his act of kindness and we all should be cheering him on!

Image Credit: AI-generated

Posted By

Wynne Leon

If you want to hear more of this story, you can listen (and please subscribe) to How To Share on Spotify, Amazon Music, or Apple Podcasts.

Wynne Leon is the host of the How to Share – a podcast that celebrates the art of teaching, learning, giving, and growing. Her personal blog site is Surprised by Joy. You can find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wynneleon/ and Instagram @wynneleon

Trending Stories Today

We’re always looking for new voices and perspectives. Submit your post by clicking here.

Spread the love