Apr
Tossed Ball At Rangers Ballpark Causes Internet Uproar
Tossed Ball At Rangers Ballpark Causes Internet Uproar
By Ryan Crowe & Joel Thomas, CBSDFW.com
ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) - The eyes of Texas, and of the internet, are on a Tarrant County couple after they caught a ball tossed into the stands at Wednesday night’s Rangers game against the Yankees at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
But it’s not their joy at catching the ball that has the internet in an uproar.
The scene started as Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland tossed a routine foul ball into the lower deck stands. The couple were sitting next to a man and his toddler, who also was reaching for the ball.
(credit: YES Network)
In video that has gone viral on the internet, you can see the man quickly picked up the ball and presented it to the woman.
The video was originally broadcast on the Yankees’ YES Network Wednesday night.
While the couple celebrated their prize, the young boy in a red Rangers shirt, blue Rangers hat and black glove could be seen on camera crying and reaching for the ball.
“They can’t even give it to the kid?” YES Network announcer Michael Kay said. “That’s awful.”
(credit: YES Network)
Moments later the woman poses for a picture with the ball, and the toddler can be seen crying and trying to reach for it.
“Wow!” Kay said. “They’re actually like rubbing it in the kid’s face!”
The woman, who identified herself as Shannon, says she and her fiance were on their last outing before their upcoming wedding. She explained what happened to CBS 11′s Joel Thomas. “We were in the moment. We didn’t realize the boy was crying for the ball.”
Someone in the Rangers dugout noticed the boy, and tossed him another ball. His reaction was exactly what you would expect from a child being handed a major league baseball.
But the damage was done for Shannon, who was chided by Kay while the boy beamed. “Look at the grin, and look at the greedy people next to him, just oblivious. Let’s make out while he has the ball, but we’ve got our ball.”
(credit: YES Network)
Shannon says about 10 minutes after the incident they offered the boy their ball, but he already had one.
She says the public backlash has been unfair, as she herself is a grandmother. “I was devastated. It hurt my feelings. I would never in a million years dream of hurting a child. People interpret things the way they want them to be and people get hurt in the process.”
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