During a baseball game, a touching moment quickly turned contentious when a fan approached a father and son, who were celebrating the son’s birthday, with a surprising request.
The game featured the Phillies against the Marlins at LoanDepot Park on a Friday when Harrison Bader, an outfielder for the Phillies, hit a home run that rocketed into the stands.
In baseball, it’s customary for a fan who catches a ball hit into the crowd to keep it.
Video footage showed a group of fans scrambling into an empty row to catch Bader’s powerful hit. However, it ended up in the hands of a dad who then returned to his seat about five chairs away to give the ball to his overjoyed son.
While this should have concluded the incident, one determined fan approached the family aggressively and demanded possession of the ball.
The video shows a woman with grey hair initially attempting to catch the ball, but losing her grip, causing it to drop.
A verbal exchange occurred between the fan and the dad, debating where the ball was actually picked up.
The recorded footage captures the woman asserting, “You took it from me. It was in my hand.”
Frustrated, the father eventually retrieved the ball from his son, Lincoln, and handed it to the fan, who returned to her place with the ball.
The situation worsened when it was revealed that it was Lincoln’s birthday.
After witnessing the incident, the Marlins decided to intervene and rectify the situation.
A video shows a representative from the Marlins presenting Lincoln with a prize pack filled with various gifts and goodies, including baseballs for both him and his sister, who was seated next to him.
A social media video captures the representative saying, “We brought you a cool little goodie bag.”
Although Lincoln didn’t get to keep Bader’s ball, he received an even more memorable experience when, after the game, Bader personally met him to present a signed bat.
The Phillies shared on Twitter two images of Lincoln’s encounter with Bader, showcasing the player handing over the signed bat.
“Going home with a signed bat from Bader,” stated their post.
Supporters took to social media to commend the team’s effort in resolving the situation.
“Gonna make a Phillies (baseball) fan outta me,” one fan commented.
Another user expressed, “It is good the baseball team worked out something to try to make the situation right.”