Cubs Fan Offers to Give Reds' Elly De La Cruz HR Ball After Sister's Death

The Chicago Cubs fan who caught Elly De La Cruz's home run Sunday has offered to return the ball to the Cincinnati Reds shortstop.

De La Cruz started the 7-3 defeat a day after his sister, Genelis, died. In the top of the sixth, he hit a two-run homer off Cubs starter Jameson Taillon.

Brendan Daly was the fan at Wrigley Field who retrieved the ball. He told TMZ Sports he'd like for De La Cruz to have it.

"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," he said.

De La Cruz won't be stateside for long.

"[Bench coach Freddie Benavides] and I sat with him for a while [Sunday] and asked him what he wanted to do, and then he said he was gonna play, leave after Wednesday and go home,” Reds manager Terry Francona told reporters Monday. "And then we just kind of said, 'Hey, OK, that's great, but if you want to go now …' And then I just said, 'How's your mom doing?' And he said, 'Well, that's probably the hardest one.'

"So I know he spent some time talking to her, and I think for a little while that he was going to go [home on Sunday], and then after talking, I guess to her, he decided he's still going to go after the game Wednesday."

Daly said he has been in contact with Reds officials, with the team's president of baseball operations being alerted to his desire for the ball to wind up in De La Cruz's possession.

For now, Daly still has it.