Additional Coverage:
A heartwarming moment turned sour at Friday’s Phillies-Marlins game in Miami when a dad, Drew Feltwell, snagged a home run ball for his son, only to have it demanded from him by another fan. Feltwell, attending the game with his children, secured the Bader home run ball after it landed in the stands.
Video footage shows him retrieving the ball and placing it in his son Lincoln’s glove. However, their joy was short-lived.
A woman in a Phillies jersey confronted Feltwell, demanding the ball.
“She just screamed in my ear, ‘That’s my ball!'” Feltwell recounted in an interview, visibly shaken by the encounter. Not wanting to escalate the situation in front of his children, he reluctantly handed the ball over.
The incident quickly gained traction online, with many criticizing the woman’s actions. Some pointed to unwritten “bleacher rules,” asserting the ball belonged to whoever picked it up.
Despite the unpleasant experience, the day ended on a high note for Lincoln. The Phillies, who won the game 9-3, arranged for him to meet Harrison Bader and receive a signed bat.
While grateful for the team’s gesture, Feltwell doubts he’ll receive an apology from the woman, and says even if she returned the ball, it wouldn’t undo the awkward encounter. The woman’s identity remains unknown at this time.