World Record Attempt At ‘Largest Game Of Catch’ Coming To New Jersey

NEW JERSEY — “I always thought that record would stand until it was broken.” This famous quote from Yogi Berra will be the theme of the day when an attempt at holding the largest game of catch in the world takes place in New Jersey.

The event – which is being held in honor of late baseball great Yogi Berra – is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 21 at Yogi Berra Stadium, 8 Yogi Berra Drive in Little Falls (on the campus of Montclair State University). Gates open at 11:30 a.m. and the world record attempt will take place at 1 p.m.

The official Guinness World Records attempt will require at least 1,946 people to play catch simultaneously for five minutes, according to the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center.

To nail down the record, all participants must keep going for the full five minutes. Luckily, they won’t have to worry about perfection, organizers say: “dropping the ball is part of playing catch.”

The current world record was set in 2017, when 1,944 people (or 972 pairs) played an enormous game of catch at an event celebrating Father's Day in a suburb of Chicago.

All participants will receive a commemorative t-shirt and enjoy activities in the stadium and free admission to the museum after the attempt. The cost to register is $25 per pair, $15 per single player and $5 for spectators. Learn more about the event or get a ticket here.

In addition to being the last day of summer this year, Sept. 21 is also significant because it marks the day before Berra’s first major league game in 1946 – and the day prior to his death 10 years ago.

• Read More: Yankees Icon Yogi Berra Dies At 90
• Read More: 8 Top 'Yogi-isms' From 'The Great No. 8,' Baseball's Yogi Berra

Dubbed “Yogi’s Big Catch Challenge,” the event will be more than just an attempt at nailing down a listing in the Guinness World Records database, organizers say.

“Our true goal is to recognize Yogi’s centennial year with a joyful, unifying tribute that brings community together around the values Yogi stood for his entire life: respect, teamwork, sportsmanship and excellence,” said the museum’s executive director Eve Schaenen.

• See Related: Here Are 9 Amazing World Records From New Jersey

The upcoming challenge recently got a boost from New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge in a social media post.

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