Long-lost baseball mitt discovered in Florida store

August 29 is a day Julie Anne Lisi will never forget.

No, it’s not an anniversary or a birthday.

In fact, it began as any other ordinary day, up until she was stopped in her tracks in the aisle of a second-hand shop and was instantly taken back to the past, 1978 to be exact.

That was the year, yes, 40 years ago, that her son, Chris, now 52, lost his baseball glove after a Little League game in Willoughby at Todd Field. And not just any game, it was the Willoughby Baseball League’s Championship in which Chris hit two home runs en route to a 4-2 victory.

“We don’t remember him losing it then,” Julie Anne recalled. “I do know he’d set it down while celebrating. Imagine my surprise,

my shock, actually, that Wednesday morning not even a month ago. I looked down at a bottom shelf at Goodwill in Jupiter, Florida, and I couldn’t believe it.”

Though incredulous, Julie Anne quickly picked up the glove and that’s when, she said, it really hit her — her son’s long-lost glove was now in her hands, some 1,170 miles away from where it had been set down more than four decades earlier.

Seeing the words “Christopher Lisi” written on the glove seemed solid proof, and minutes later she’d get the confirmation she and Chris’ dad, Mike, would need.

Quickly snapping a photo and sending it to Chris, a response came back just as

soon as it’d gone out. “Buy it.” Fully convinced, Julie Anne and Mike continued to share thoughts that the entire experience was beyond surreal.

“My knees were shaking,” Julie Anne said. “I was actually scared. My husband thought something was wrong. The glove still had the legible writing and though worn, it’s in pretty good shape despite its age.

“I began sharing the story with everybody, starting with the clerks in the store. No one can believe it. It’s been a whirlwind experience. We’re coming (back) to Willoughby Oct. 1 and we’ll get to Columbus to see Chris and reunite him with his glove.”

Since the discovery, the Lisis have been “swarmed with” interview requests from local, national and Canadian media outlets. Their story has even been

featured in “The Week Junior,” a news publication in the United Kingdom, in a section aptly called, “That’s Unbelievable.”

“It’s still like a dream,” Mike said. “It’s so improbable. We’ve even had some media folks ask us to buy them a lottery ticket.”

Chris, who graduated from Willoughby South High School in 1984, and later Ohio State University, said his mother’s text instantly brought back a rush of emotion.

“Tears started welling up,” he said. “I’m an emotional guy to begin with. I was upset when I lost it and remember riding my bike back down to the field, but it was gone. I loved that glove. I felt like Superman with it — I could catch anything.

“When my mom texted me, I knew it. I knew how I drew my L’s so I instantly recognized the handwriting.

And she’s right; it doesn’t look a whole lot worse. Wherever it’s been, it’s been taken care of quite well.”

Currently a defensive backs coach at Thomas Worthington High School, about 12 miles north of Columbus, Lisi also coaches boys varsity bowling coach and girls varsity track at Whetstone High School, where he teaches mathematics.

Chris plans to give the glove to his son, Collin, Julie Anne confirmed.

With the reunion forthcoming, Chris said he’s grateful for his parents and their serendipitous find, and that he’s ready to see and hold his glove again.

But first, he’ll have to hand his father a bit of loot.

“My dad’s a wiseguy,” Chris added, laughing. “He told me that I owe him $1.49 before I get it back.”

SUBMITTED Chris Lisi’s long-lost baseball glove was found after 40 years by his mother, Julie Anne, in Jupiter, Florida, last month.

SUBMITTED Julie Anne and Mike Lisi discovered their son’s lost baseball glove at a Goodwill in Florida last month. The Willoughby couple, who divide their time between Ohio and Florida, plan to bring the glove to Chris next month.