A father, whose young son had a baseball taken from him by a woman at an MLB game, has made a public appeal for calm.
The incident took place last Friday (September 5) during a game between the Marlins and the Phillies at LoanDepot Park. Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader hit a home run, sending the ball into the crowd. Traditionally, any baseball caught by a fan is theirs to keep.
As the ball flew into the stands, several fans made a grab for it. Ultimately, a father managed to secure it and handed it to his ten-year-old son, Lincoln, who was ecstatic.
A woman, who initially missed her chance to catch the ball, approached the family and insisted on having the baseball.
The entire exchange was recorded by television cameras, showing the woman asserting: “You took it from me. It was in my hand.”
The father, Drew Feltwell, addressed the media about the viral incident and is requesting the public to refrain from seeking out the woman.
Feltwell expressed to USA Today: “Please don’t do anything to that lady. Leave it alone. You know, somebody knows her and can talk to her, that’s different. But God, I don’t want people breaking in their house and stuff like that. The internet already messed her up pretty good.”
He also recounted the confrontation with Fox Sports, saying: “I can’t even repeat that on air. She was very vulgar. Screaming right in my ear that, you know, lotta bad words and, ‘That’s my ball.’
“That was her section, and trying to tell me she had the right to that ball. The screaming and yelling kinda got to us, and I just wanted her to go away. So, that’s how she got the ball.”
Feltwell gave the ball to the woman, which was particularly disappointing as it happened to be Lincoln’s tenth birthday.
After the incident, the Phillies stepped in to make amends by presenting Lincoln with a gift pack filled with various items and treats.
The heartwarming gesture was captured on video, showing a representative saying: “We brought you a cool little goodie bag.”
The identity of the woman who took the ball remains unknown, though another woman has come forward to clarify that she was mistakenly identified as the fan involved.