I have an idea that I think is really good but kind of far out. SO, do you remember back to the season 4 episode Cabin Fever? and how Richard went to young Locke with the four or so items (comic, knife, compass, etc.) which is much like how the selection of the next dalhi lama happens Well I think that meeting of the two of them was the selection process for the job that Dogen has now. That being said, I beleive that after (or before) the failed attempt to recruit John for the position, Richard tryed another candidate for the same job. That person being a young Dogen. He brought him the items, one of which being the baseball that we see in the episode What Kate Does. He chose correctly, got the job/position, and kept the baseball as a momento of how he came to be the leader of the Templies (new name for the Others in the temple). Well, thats my theory. Let me know what you think.
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