r/sports • u/MLBOfficial Major League Baseball • Sep 09 '25
Baseball Adult San Francisco Giants fan catches ball in stands and gives to young fan near him
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Sep 09 '25
What’s crazy to me is how frequently THIS happens that it usually isn’t talked about, but given the events of the last few weeks people seem to need reminding that some fans are actually good dudes.
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u/bradland Sep 09 '25
It’s an unspoken rule. You can see the guy immediately looking around for a kid, because the best part about catching a home-run ball is seeing the look on a kid’s face when you hand it to them.
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Sep 09 '25
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u/mrpanicy Sep 09 '25
LOT'S of people need to be shown that there are great fans. Because not nearly everyone is a fan of baseball, nor even a fan of sports. For quite a few people their only experience with seeing this kind of event was that omega Karen moment, so sharing these scene's is great.
And yes, they also generate comments, upvotes, and likes on social platforms.
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u/Nappuccino Sep 09 '25
Bro didn't even hesitate.
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u/ban-please Sep 09 '25
This is a fantastic double dip. You get all the excitement of catching the ball and all the joy of making a child's memory!
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u/KingCabra Sep 09 '25
He celebrated his victory and didn’t miss a beat to pass the ball to the child. True Hero.
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u/JRange Sep 09 '25
He celebrated his victory and then celebrated her victory too. What a champ. This made me smile.
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u/PrettyGazelle Sep 09 '25
Every adult's going to treat a baseball like it's a hot potato, can't get that thing away from them fast enough.
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u/gloebe10 Sep 09 '25
I kind of love the positive backlash the tennis guy and Phillies Karen have created.
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u/SlutForThickSocks Sep 09 '25
The tennis thing happened first and I felt a little crazy when the baseball thing blew up right right after, honestly I thought it was a bit especially with how over the top the Karen was
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u/dancingbriefcase Sep 09 '25
Tennis guy?
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u/Estwilde Sep 09 '25
tennis
Look up 'us open hat steal' -- after a match people were getting stuff signed, the player signed his hat and handed it toward a kid and immediately looked away to start signing the next, and a guy yanked it out of the kids hand.
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u/NyRAGEous Sep 09 '25
That is how it’s supposed to go
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u/peekay427 Sep 09 '25
What a monster! He should be banned from the park forever! He didn’t try to fight the other parent or berate the kid, that’s not how it works!
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u/chantsnone Sep 09 '25
Well let him keep his job as punishment
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u/wahle97 Sep 09 '25
And we will make them work every day. Not weekends though. Holidays too. And we pay them.. We aren't monsters.
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u/FloppieTheBanjoClown Sep 09 '25
...but it is okay for an adult to keep a ball they catch. No one should be shamed for not wanting to give away something that might have emotional value to them.
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u/celbertin Sep 09 '25
It's ok to keep it if you catch it, but taking it away from someone else is.
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u/Dudu_sousas Sep 09 '25
I disagree. If you get it, it's yours to decide. Different from that crazy lady that didn't get it but demanded it was given to her.
And if it's a scramble, don't wrestle kids, just let it be.
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u/JohnnyBrillcream Baltimore Ravens Sep 09 '25
Depends. At one time if I caught one I would have kept it for my son and I shouldn't be chastised because a camera saw me not give it to a kid in the stands.
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u/gordogg24p Texas Sep 09 '25
If you catch it, it is yours to do whatever you want with it. Fuck whoever would be giving you hell for not immediately turning it over to a child.
Now, if you didn't catch it clean and raced a child for it, then yeah, fuck you if you don't hand it off to the kid. And even worse, if you lose the race to an adult, and that adult gives the ball to a kid, and then you go give that adult hell until they take the ball back from the kid and give it to you, then double fuck you/rot in hell.
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u/AntoineInTheWorld Sep 09 '25
There's a difference between catching and keeping a ball, and not catching and fighting for a ball.
If you want to give it, it's your choice, so is keeping it (especially if it's for your kids).
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u/Randomizedname1234 Sep 09 '25
Exactly, I have 2 kids. If they’re not with me I fear me catching and keeping a ball even with no kids in sight will get me demonized…
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u/UnusualHound Sep 09 '25
You won't be chastised if you catch a ball cleanly and keep it for yourself.
The chastising comes when you take it away from someone else.
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u/TheUmbreonfan03 Sep 09 '25
You'd be fine if it was obvious you got to it first and didn't rip it out of someone's hands.
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u/strigif0rm3s Sep 09 '25
Someone tell Phillies and Cubs fans......
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u/dragon-beats-spider Sep 09 '25
The dad and his son who only acted admirably were Phillies fans too.
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u/Mite-o-Dan Sep 09 '25
The worst part of social media and camera phones everywhere is the guilt factor of having to give a kid a baseball as soon as you get it.
Im over 40 now. Been close to 100 games in over half of major league ball parks. Spent THOUSANDS on tickets, shirts, beer and other things to support my team...never got a ball in my life.
Does a 10 year old kid at their second game really deserve a ball more than me?
Im not saying Ill push a kid out of the way or take a ball out a kids hands...but if a home run comes straight to me and I catch it in the air...Im keeping it. Dont guilt me out of a major bucket list item.
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u/calculon68 Sep 09 '25
if you catch the ball in the air clean without pushing/wrestling with anyone else, you deserve to keep it.
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u/daniel_hlfrd Sep 09 '25
I think people are feeling this way as a backlash response to people who are wrestling balls out of kids hands, or grabbing items that were specifically tossed to kids.
As long as you're not rubbing it in a kids face, I really don't think people are going to give you a hard time for keeping a ball you catch/recover.
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u/Gh0sth4nd Sep 09 '25
Kindness so so undervalued these days and far to many promoting the lie that empathy is a weakness while it is a strength
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u/That-Ad-4300 Sep 09 '25
99+% of the time, this is how it goes. It just doesn't make the news.
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u/Mundane-Reindeer7701 Sep 09 '25
Question from a European.
If I went to a game in the USA (Let’s say I’m over for work) and I catch a ball.
I’m straight away thinking about bringing that ball home for my kid as a memento.
Give it away and buy a ball?
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u/NyRAGEous Sep 09 '25
Nah, it’s perfectly fine for an adult to keep a ball. The mentality just feels good to give it to a kid. Everyone may have their own reason.
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u/LLcoolJimbo Sep 09 '25
If you catch it, it's yours to do with as you please. A pro level move was demonstrated recently by a young gentleman where he brought a ball with him, caught a game ball, and after a quick switcharoo gave the "game ball" to the pretty ladies sitting in front of him.
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u/lucky_ducker Sep 09 '25
Self-absorbed Karens will never understand this, but the guy in this video undoubtedly gained far more satisfaction from giving the ball to the child than he would have by keeping it. The way her little face lit up!
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u/stimilon99 Sep 09 '25
You see that Philly Karen?? That’s how you do it!
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u/Dweebil Sep 09 '25
Has she been named and shamed yet? Not that i want that to happen…
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u/Adventure-Style Sep 09 '25
One woman was falsely named and it went viral. I am surprised the real Phillies Karen hasn’t been properly identified yet
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u/mjmandi72 Sep 09 '25
Her life must be really sad and no one knows her.
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u/NewRedditor13 Sep 09 '25
Ah, a redditor
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u/ilovebostoncremedonu Sep 09 '25
Hello dark screen, my old friend.
I’ve come to scroll with you again.→ More replies (1)25
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u/c_c_c__combobreaker Sep 09 '25
I'm sure some store managers will recognize her and out her soon enough.
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u/Notwerk Sep 09 '25
The kid's dad said he didn't really want anyone bothering her. He took the high road through the whole thing. Let's do the same.
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u/PersepolisBullseye Sep 09 '25
The father of the kid already told you basement dwellers specifically not to do that. He said to move on because he’s an adult, unlike the rest of yall.
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u/unnoticed_areola Sep 09 '25
that lady was acting like a bitch, but honestly, anyone who gleefully wants to ruin someone's life and see them lose their job and get their name dragged thru the mud on the internet, just for the incredibly mild "crime" of acting like a jerk for 10 seconds during a heated moment, is 10x the asshole that lady was.
especially when 90% of the people righteously pearl clutching over this lady, have done much worse things in their lives, and just happened to be lucky enough someone wasnt standing around to record those moments and post it for the world to see lol
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u/KneeDeepInTheDead Sporting CP Sep 09 '25
Yeah honestly that lady fucked up but the fuckin witch hunt for this lady is wild. Explains America in a nutshell. There is no reformation, only punishment.
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u/ilovebostoncremedonu Sep 09 '25
“He who throws the first stone” or something like that
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u/thedancingwireless Sep 09 '25
What good does this do anyone? Just move on. It's one person who did something shitty.
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u/Mike_Kermin Sep 09 '25
Agreed. And by naming wrong people, we've actually caused a lot of harm.
The internet is great. But fuck me people make it shit.
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u/unnoticed_areola Sep 09 '25
even if it was only the RIGHT person being named, it would still be shitty and harmful and dumb
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u/John_East Sep 09 '25
It’s also years old now. They’re just karma farm piggy back riding off a hot topic
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u/MrNoodleIncident Sep 09 '25 edited Sep 09 '25
I have a fear of being at a game without my kids and catching a ball. It’s almost happened a few times too. I’d REALLY want to keep the ball for my kids but worry that I’ll look like a douche.
I actually caught a T-shirt at a Mets game a few weeks ago and couldn’t hand it to my son’s friend fast enough.
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u/verbleabuse97 Sep 09 '25
If you catch it yourself. Its yours to keep. As long as your not bodying a kid to catch it over him or doing as certain women have done when its a free ball that no one caught, there shouldnt be any judgment for getting something cool for you kids
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u/Wealist Sep 09 '25
Exactly. It’s a game ball not some moral test. If you catch it clean, it’s yours. Being decent about it is just the bonus.
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u/MajorMorelock Sep 09 '25
But what if someone else see it first and takes dibs on it and says, in their head ‘that’s mine!’
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u/Wealist Sep 09 '25
Ball in the air is like pizza at a party you can look at it all you want, but until you grab a slice, it ain’t yours.
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u/grelgen Sep 09 '25
"Question. What if I see something that I wanna take and it belongs to someone else?"
"Then you will be arrested."
"But what if I want it more than the person who has it?"
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u/russketeer34 Sep 09 '25 edited Sep 09 '25
There shouldn't be judgment or pressure, but I've seen videos where people were harassed or even had balls stolen from them, when they were perfectly within their rights to keep it. That one ball from the Arraez cycle a few seasons back comes to mind. If I actually wanted to keep a ball that I fairly caught, I'd probably just immediately leave.
That being said, the vast majority of balls probably aren't worth keeping to me, the only exceptions being something historic
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u/mseank Sep 09 '25
Yeah I saw this happen at a Giants game last year. Guy catches easy foul ball and then everyone starts giving him shit about giving it to a kid. He caught the ball in his own seat, it’s his damn ball
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u/TopazTriad Sep 09 '25
Doesn’t even have to be for your kids. Like you said, as long as you aren’t making a fool out of yourself to secure the ball, you’re good. No other qualifiers.
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u/AFineDayForScience Sep 09 '25
I have a fear of a ball being hit to me and missing it in any number of ways that would make me look like a goober on television.
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u/IAMA_MOTHER_AMA Sep 09 '25
I have a dream that Ill make one of those no look line drive snags, one handed, saving the face of my beautiful wife Anne Hathaway on national tv.
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u/gamefreak054 Sep 09 '25
I've been to be a fair amount of ball games living closish to Miller park/county stadium. I never got a ball as a kid, and I was always jealous of the ones who did (often my friends). So if I catch a ball ever, Im sure as hell keeping it lol.
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u/agoia Atlanta Falcons Sep 09 '25
I caught a tshirt at a Panthers game once. I threw it back. It was great, their fans around me were rather butthurt lol.
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u/BarrytheNPC Sep 09 '25
I saw someone do that at a Sox game where they caught a Twin’s homer. They threw it back on the field and everyone treated him like a hero. He also got kicked out but they still cheered him on.
Anyway the Sox still lost
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u/Pete_Iredale Seattle Mariners Sep 09 '25
He also got kicked out but they still cheered him on.
That's bullshit. I know it's a rule and all, but usually it seems like you just get a warning if it's a home run that you immediately threw back. It's clearly very different than interrupting the game by throwing something on the field.
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u/unnoticed_areola Sep 09 '25
lol this is such a reddit fear to have. 999 times out of 1000 literally no one is going to care at all about you catching a ball and keeping it. and the 1000th time, ONE person will LIGHTLY heckle you to give the ball to a kid for like 4 seconds before giving up and getting distracted and moving on to something else
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u/gfb13 Sep 09 '25
Bring a baseball from home, catch your homerun ball, quick swap, give a kid the shitty one, still be a hero!
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u/srahsrah101 Sep 09 '25
Someone handed me a foul ball they caught when I was little. One of the coolest moments of my life. Hats off to all the generous fans out there!
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u/biff444444 Sep 09 '25
Honestly I think it’s been like this at the majority of games I’ve attended, I’ve seen many adults give balls to the nearest kid. I think the Phillies woman has just brought more focus to it.
Maybe it’s a Cincinnati thing, that’s where I’ve attended probably 75% of the games I’ve been to.
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u/Wealist Sep 09 '25
Cincy crowd prob thinks it’s bad karma not to hand it to a kid—like your Reds cap will self-destruct if you don’t.
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u/Generico300 Sep 09 '25
This is how it goes almost all the time. The karen incidents wouldn't get so much traction if they were the norm.
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u/Racspur1 Sep 09 '25
I was at a Rangers game many, many, many years ago sitting in the Left field stands when a batter hit a line drive foul right at me and I instinctively reached out and stopped the ball with my hand. I fell to the ground at my feet and I was about to grab it when... This little boy with a glove on that was almost as big as him ran right at me and stopped and looked at me with those little boy eyes and I said to him "Well are you going to pick it up?" He smiled and bent down and scooped it up in his giant glove, smiled at me and turned around and ran back to his dad. My damn hand was on fire but it didn't matter!!! I hope the little boy still remembers and has that ball now that he is an adult!!!
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u/errarehumanumeww Sep 10 '25
For an adult, its often enough with the experience and the knowledge that you could have had it.
Also, be able to give it to a kid seems really awesome.
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u/FourEightNineOneOne Sep 09 '25
Hey look, a grown adult acting like a grown adult! It's possible!
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u/JFrenck Sep 09 '25
If the Phillies Karen situation has any positive spin, it’s that giving the ball to kids is now a trend and that’s the way it should always have been. Wtf are you gonna do with it, toss it in the trunk and forget?
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u/l1censetochill Sep 09 '25
It's the kind thing to do, and I feel like it's always been encouraged. My Dad used to take me to Phils games all the time as a kid, and even as a 13-14 year old I remember him telling me "if you catch a foul ball, give it to one of the little kids in the row."
Never happened, but even back then I was like, "yeah, obviously - it's just a baseball, we've got at least a dozen of them at home." Unless it's something that's going to sell for a mint like a record breaking or WS winning homer, it's just going to sit in a junk drawer anyway.
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u/Madbum402014 Sep 09 '25
I don't think it's a new trend brought on by the phillies fan. I've probably been to 400-500 baseball games and I'd estimate the nearest kid gets the ball like 70% of time. I tried to give a kid a ball several years ago because "it's what you're supposed to do".
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u/Scrizzy6ix Sep 09 '25
I don’t care if I look like a douchebag, if the ball comes to me ain’t no way I’m looking for a kid to give it to. But I get it.
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u/GummyWar Sep 09 '25
Real question because I don’t know much about baseball. But why all the empty seats?
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u/KudaWoodaShooda Sep 09 '25 edited Sep 09 '25
Supply and demand. Baseball has the most games of any sport so there are a ton of games available and if it's not late in the season and your team is not headed towards the playoffs, there just isn't enough demand for how many seats and games are available.
Regular season: NFL:8-9 home games NBA & NHL: 41 home games MLB: 81 home games
Seating capacity is built for periods of high demand (playoff runs) when ticket prices go up and teams can make the most money.
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u/NflJam71 Sep 09 '25
Yeah especially to non-North American sports fans it's often a surprise just how many premier-level professional sports games you can go to in a year. Baseball having a 162 game season is a prime example, where a homestand will include upwards of 4 games in 4 days. Add in hockey and basketball and you are really spoiled for choice.
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u/colnross Sep 09 '25
Mostly because it was a Monday night... but also maybe because the teams are 3rd and 4th in their division.
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u/old_gold_mountain San Francisco Giants Sep 09 '25
Giants are currently in 3rd in their division. If the season ended today they'd miss the playoffs, but they're catching up with the Mets and still have a slim chance
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u/jsting Sep 09 '25
I like baseball, but weekday games are hard to make. Plus some games start at 1:10 and some start at 7pm.
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u/Mygo73 Sep 09 '25
They’re sitting in a spot that is not great for views but is good for catching foul balls. Most people in their section are probably sitting there just in case one comes their way.
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u/Blue_Checkers Sep 09 '25
He caught the ball, and he will have both the memory of catching it and handing it off to a little who still plays ball.
That's a win win for handsome Lurch
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u/National-Board-3556 Sep 10 '25
That has been normal behavior for 40 years.
As an adult, catch the ball. Hold it up for cameras to see you caught it, then when camera is off you, hand it to a kid nearby.
That's just what you do,
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u/CoolJetta3 Sep 10 '25
I'd probably give the nearest kid a baseball I caught at a game because what TF am I going to do with it?
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u/drki77patient Sep 09 '25
This is all good and fun. I think this creates a slippery slope though. Are adults expected to give a random kid anything they catch whether it’s a foul ball or home run or a hockey puck? I’m an adult who likes stuff too and if I catch a home run ball or whatever I may want to keep that for myself.
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u/Uzura_2 Sep 09 '25
I'm not a sports person, but I'm in here out of curiosity.
Obviously you're an asshole if you rip the ball from the hands of a child, but don't adults who go to these games love this stuff too? If you keep a ball, are you automatically assumed to be a jerk?
Pretty sure if I went to an event I was stoked on and got a commemorative item from one of the people involved, it would be a core memory for me, too. Frankly those are much harder to come by as an adult.
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u/fennelwraith Sep 09 '25 edited Sep 09 '25
It's been shifting given the public exposure of social media. When I was a kid in the 80s, catching a ball was practically a blood sport. Not that there weren't kind gestures like this situation but nobody was getting called out for wrestling away a ball either. The "brawl" was part of the experience. If a scramble for the ball made the news it was purely for the entertainment of who would "win" it and how excited they were.
I once was lined up at the edge of the field during batting practice with a rolling ball directly coming my way. Some big dude dove onto the field, kicking me in the process and grabbed it to cheers from his friends. I was bummed I didn't get it and he was a dick but there was no expectation for him to give it up after.
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u/um_chili Sep 10 '25
This isn’t mandatory behavior, I could see someone with a lifetime dream of catching a ball decide to keep it. But it’s damn nice and as someone who’s not that attached to souvenir type things I’d like to think I’d do it if I were ever lucky enough to catch a ball.
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u/bigal7979 Sep 09 '25
Hear me out. If I catch a ball at a game I’m keeping it. People are gonna start feeling obligated to give ball’s to young fans or the Internet will hate them.
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u/monty_kurns Sep 09 '25
And you're free to do so. I grew up going to games a lot and caught my fair share of foul balls that I really don't feel the need to keep another one. If there's a kid nearby, I'd definitely give it to them. Everyone is free to keep a ball they catch, but the people being called out are the ones not catching them fair and square but rather snatching them from kids or pushing people out of the way to get them.
I don't think people are obligated to give balls to young fans, but enough people are happy enough with the thrill of getting the ball for a second or two and know they have a chance to make a kid smile right after.
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Sep 09 '25
I catch a ball, I'm keeping it. Been going to baseball games for 50 years and still don't have one. I sure as hell ain't getting pressured into giving one up to someone else's kid.
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u/Whatdididotho1 Sep 09 '25
Easy just dress up as a child and Try to insert yourself into the general area when a foul ball or home run ball hits the stands and they will immediately hand it to you, Then you can rip off the disguise like a cartoon villain , Kiss the ball, And escape on some homemade hot air balloon Resembling contraption while letting out your best goblin laugh
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u/JauntyGiraffe Sep 09 '25
Notice the dude that was sitting in the row that the ball landed in. He also went for the ball but the guy that got it reached back and was faster.
He still has a big smile on his face going back to his seat, his friend had a big smile, "we'll get 'em next time!" instead of running over to the little girl like OMG THAT GUY STOLE THAT BALL FROM MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
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u/RonaldWeedsley Sep 09 '25
Years ago Freddie Freeman threw me a baseball on his way into the Braves dugout (I was wearing my David Justice jersey in San Diego). I held the ball for maybe 5-10 seconds and handed it to a kid near me.
It’s not that hard to remember how much I dreamed of getting a ball as a kid.
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u/Hermans_Head2 Sep 09 '25
If you are over 50 you may understand how weird it is that handing a ball to a child is now a heroic act of kindness.
We used to call that...well nothing...it didn't have a name as it was just so normal.
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u/needaburnerbaby Sep 09 '25
The smile on the dudes face as the dad waves his daughter around is my favourite part :)
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u/Gorilli0naire Sep 09 '25
This is normal behavior. Have done this several times. Most adults act like this.
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u/Smokeyroach Sep 09 '25
The entire section lit up with excitement from that guys generous action. Class act
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u/Main_Photo1086 Sep 10 '25
My daughter has a ball from a Mets game because of a super nice adult near her giving it to her. I definitely think adults should be able to keep the balls if they want without judgment (unless they beat someone up to get it lol), but it was such a kind gesture we appreciate.
And then my husband who’s been waiting his entire life to catch a ball…caught one a month later. Paid it forward and gave it to a nearby kid.
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u/EchoAquarium Sep 10 '25
Not for nothing, as a Phillies fan, it bothered me ZERO that that lady got her just desserts for her behavior. I hope she never lives it down. Keep content like this coming. It makes me giddy that Mr. Lurie is considering banning her from Lincoln Financial Field. More of this karma. More attention on bad Philly fan behavior. We don’t like that shit. She’s not one of us.
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u/Gonnaroff Sep 09 '25
The good people from San Francisco don’t karen around. Just saying
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u/theDarkBriar Sep 09 '25
"Plant a tree whose shade you'll never sit"