Nice gesture by a fan

[cjclong]

In the Rangers game at Baltimore tonight Josh Hamilton had his bat slip out of his hand (again) and sail into the stands. A Baltimore fan with an Orioles jersey caught the bat (partly in self defense) and then gave it to a little boy sitting in front of him with his parents. When interviewed at the end of the inning he said that the little boy was a Josh Hamilton fan and he just wanted to give him the bat. Its one thing to give a a young kid a foul ball and its another to give a kid a game used (no question about it) bat from a star player. Its something that young boy will remember all his life.Thought that was really nice.

[OaklandAsFan]

Thats great to hear, I honestly don't know if I woulda given up the bat.

Today on the 2nd or 3rd pitch of the game Rafael Furcal smoked a HR to the main concourse in CF vs the Dbacks. It drilled a little girl (about 7 or 8 years old) right in the leg just above the knee and rolled past my seat until some guy picked it up and started walking away. I looked over and the little girl was bawling in pain and security was calling EMS. I looked at the guy and said dude that girl got drilled by that ball you should give it to her. Much to my surprise he actually walked over and did.

[flota89]

Similar thing happeded in last night's Cardinals game in Arizona. Tyler Greene let go of two bats during the game. The first was grabbed by a fan about 20-30 rows up. A kid from about 10 rows away ran right up to the guy that caught it and it was immediately handed the bat.

[camarokids]

That is a nice gesture. But being a collector I would have kept the bat for myself.

It is NOT all about the kids all of the time. Adults are fans too. I have given balls to kids plenty of times too. But some of these kids seem to think they are more entitled to items than an adult.

If the bat was meant for a kid then that would be different. But the adult caught the bat fair & square.

[cjclong]

Of course the fan who caught the bat had the right to keep it. And being a Josh Hamilton fan in all honesty I would almost certainly would have kept the bat. That being said, if the bat had come from an Orioles player and I knew some 6 or 8 year old kid in front of me was a big fan of his I hope I'd consider giving him the bat. And the kid did not ask for it. It was just a real nice gesture on the man's part.

[camarokids]

In referring to the man caught the bat fair & square. I was talking about the story that Flota89 posted with the kid running up to the guy that caught a bat.

[Jags Fan Dan]

Thats great to hear, I honestly don't know if I woulda given up the bat.

Today on the 2nd or 3rd pitch of the game Rafael Furcal smoked a HR to the main concourse in CF vs the Dbacks. It drilled a little girl (about 7 or 8 years old) right in the leg just above the knee and rolled past my seat until some guy picked it up and started walking away. I looked over and the little girl was bawling in pain and security was calling EMS. I looked at the guy and said dude that girl got drilled by that ball you should give it to her. Much to my surprise he actually walked over and did.
Sadly, the thought probably had not even occurred to him to do that. Good call on your part.:)

[UTeric3232]

In referring to the man caught the bat fair & square. I was talking about the story that Flota89 posted with the kid running up to the guy that caught a bat.

The messed up thing is, let's say it's your favorite player, and you catch the bat. Next thing you know a kid runs up to you asking for it. Of course you don't give it to him. The next thing you know the entire stadium is booing you and you end up on the front page of yahoo....

[sox83cubs84]

The messed up thing is, let's say it's your favorite player, and you catch the bat. Next thing you know a kid runs up to you asking for it. Of course you don't give it to him. The next thing you know the entire stadium is booing you and you end up on the front page of yahoo....

The entire stadium can kiss my a**.

Dave Miedema

[xpress34]

The entire stadium can kiss my a**.

Dave Miedema

+1

[Jeffredsfan]

Or, if the lucky fan who caught the bat has an ebay account, the fan could quickly list the bat using his iPhone while still out the park! ;)

[helmets]

Chances are the 6 year old has no clue of the value of the bat, nor would it mean much to him 10 mins later. Most would probably trade the bat to their dad for an ice cream cone on the way home.

[cjclong]

When someone catches a foul ball or the much rarer bat it is theirs and they are under no obligation to give it to anybody. I said if I had caught Hamilton's bat I would have kept it. That said, why are people here complaining about the fan giving the bat to the kid. Its his choice and he did somethig nice. The fan gave the bat to not just anybody but a youngster who was a Hamilton fan. When I was a kid I would have loved to have had a Mickey Mantle or Yogi Berra bat and I damn well would not have traded the bat for an ice cream. And yes, I DO remember nice things people did for me when when I was a kid. The guy is an Orioles fan. He caught the bat fairly and could have kept it. He chose to give the bat to someone he thought would appreciate it. Its interesting. When a fan acts like an a--hole people complain about it. And when someone does something nice there is a CERTAIN KIND OF PERSON who complains about that too. Although we are not obligated to its always nice when someone goes out of their way to be kind.

[xpress34]

When someone catches a foul ball or the much rarer bat it is theirs and they are under no obligation to give it to anybody. I said if I had caught Hamilton's bat I would have kept it. That said, why are people here complaining about the fan giving the bat to the kid. Its his choice and he did somethig nice. The fan gave the bat to not just anybody but a youngster who was a Hamilton fan. When I was a kid I would have loved to have had a Mickey Mantle or Yogi Berra bat and I damn well would not have traded the bat for an ice cream. And yes, I DO remember nice things people did for me when when I was a kid. The guy is an Orioles fan. He caught the bat fairly and could have kept it. He chose to give the bat to someone he thought would appreciate it. Its interesting. When a fan acts like an a--hole people complain about it. And when someone does something nice there is a CERTAIN KIND OF PERSON who complains about that too. Although we are not obligated to its always nice when someone goes out of their way to be kind.

I don't disagree with your statement, but (and I have said this before) I do believe that PARENTS are raising their children to feel entitled. What I mean by that is that I have been going to baseball games for as long as I can remember and in the last few years, it has gotten really bad when an ADULT catches a foul ball or home run ball and is pressured by the fans (usually PARENTS) to give up the ball to a child (usually their's!).

I've been to well over 1,000 baseball games (not including Spring Training and Minor League) and in that time I have never had a bat come near me, I have retrieved ONE (1) Home Run ball and TWO (2) Foul Balls. In batting practice I have gotten maybe 50 balls over the years (just over a ball a year for the last 40 years) and NONE of those were 'given' to me when I was younger because I was a kid.

As I have explained to many players when getting autographs when they say 'I only sign for kids'... don't forget who paid for that $30, $40 etc $ box seat that the kids are sitting in. Many players respect that and then do sign.

But the autograph issue goes hand in hand with this issue - the 'entitlement' state of mind.

When graphing, I get to the park when the gates open, go get a spot on the wall and wait. It never fails how magically, just as the players show up, some PARENTS say. "Hey, you need to let the kids get up there. You guys should move for my child. Etc Etc Etc."

I'm sorry, lack of planning on your part does not constitute and emergency on mine.

Sorry for the rant, but my take is this:

You caught it it's yours. You keep it, I'm fine with that. You want to give it away, I'm fine with that too.

But when people play the 'remember the kids' card, that irks the living you know what out of me.

And for the record, I am a PARENT and I never played the BS for my son.

- Smitty

[rdeversole]

The entire stadium can kiss my a**.

Dave Miedema

+2

[camarokids]

I don't disagree with your statement, but (and I have said this before) I do believe that PARENTS are raising their children to feel entitled. What I mean by that is that I have been going to baseball games for as long as I can remember and in the last few years, it has gotten really bad when an ADULT catches a foul ball or home run ball and is pressured by the fans (usually PARENTS) to give up the ball to a child (usually their's!).

I've been to well over 1,000 baseball games (not including Spring Training and Minor League) and in that time I have never had a bat come near me, I have retrieved ONE (1) Home Run ball and TWO (2) Foul Balls. In batting practice I have gotten maybe 50 balls over the years (just over a ball a year for the last 40 years) and NONE of those were 'given' to me when I was younger because I was a kid.

As I have explained to many players when getting autographs when they say 'I only sign for kids'... don't forget who paid for that $30, $40 etc $ box seat that the kids are sitting in. Many players respect that and then do sign.

But the autograph issue goes hand in hand with this issue - the 'entitlement' state of mind.

When graphing, I get to the park when the gates open, go get a spot on the wall and wait. It never fails how magically, just as the players show up, some PARENTS say. "Hey, you need to let the kids get up there. You guys should move for my child. Etc Etc Etc."

I'm sorry, lack of planning on your part does not constitute and emergency on mine.

Sorry for the rant, but my take is this:

You caught it it's yours. You keep it, I'm fine with that. You want to give it away, I'm fine with that too.

But when people play the 'remember the kids' card, that irks the living you know what out of me.

And for the record, I am a PARENT and I never played the BS for my son.

- Smitty

Very well said Smitty! That is what I was trying to say!

I remember in 1999 at The Trop, I was in the front row waiting for BP to end and the players to come off the field to sign auto's. Some lady says to me to let the kids in. I said you need to get here early to get in the front row. I wasn't about to move for a kid or anyone. I did scoot over a few inches, as far as I could, to try an make some room.

Quite a few times a parent would say to let the kids in. I would say "get here early". After awhile I would just ignore them!

I think it was great for the guy to give the Hambone bat to the kid. But it irks the hell out of me about the other kid who ran up trying to get the bat and he succeeded.

[camarokids]

The messed up thing is, let's say it's your favorite player, and you catch the bat. Next thing you know a kid runs up to you asking for it. Of course you don't give it to him. The next thing you know the entire stadium is booing you and you end up on the front page of yahoo....

Then you do an interview and give your side! Or flip everyone off!

[Klattsy]

I'm sorry, lack of planning on your part does not constitute and emergency on mine.

Sorry for the rant, but my take is this:

You caught it it's yours. You keep it, I'm fine with that. You want to give it away, I'm fine with that too.

- Smitty

I agree with Smitty, when I watch the games on TV, I see kids run straight over to whoever caught the ball and just stick a hand out. It disgusts me. I also see kids here leaning over fences calling out for balls like its an entitlement, not a gift.

I wonder what would happen if (when!) I visit the states to watch a ball game, and I catch a foul ball, I would want to keep that souvenir as a memory of my trip. I don't want to be called out on national TV about it. Although I would not act like a douche and pose for photos while a crying kid was next to me.

Having said that, at the games here in Australia, I don't run around the park to chase a foul ball. However I must admit I am jealous when the kids get the HR balls :)

Mark.

[sox83cubs84]

Smitty:

That's the same thing I've said to pushy parents at both Chicago parks who think that I should just up and leave halfway into BP to let their kids up front. The problem is far more prevelant at Cubs games than at the Cell. Heck, one female senior citizen usher who recently retire from her job at Wrigley Field used to try and push the adults around and chase them so the kids could take their spots. She never tried that with me, but she succeeded with most of the fans she attempted to browbeat.

Dave Miedema

[cjclong]

I think everyone here agrees that if a person, be they child or adult, catches a ball or gets a bat its theirs and they can do with it what they want. And that is just the point. A Baltimore fan got a Hamilton bat and, on his own with no pressure, gave it to a young boy who was a Hamilton fan. The first few posts were that is really nice, which it was. Then we started getting posts on why did he do that ,and the kid didn't really want it and would rather have an ice cream. The idea then becomes that the fan, instead of being a nice guy, was a dumb shmuck because he didn't keep the bat for himself. Let me say right now, I don't have any kids and I have no use for pushy kids and/or pushy parents. But I also have no use for when people run down someone who does something nice. Sometimes a person gets more pleasure out of doing something nice for someone else just because they want to and those acts make this place a better world.

[frikativ54]

But I also have no use for when people run down someone who does something nice. Sometimes a person gets more pleasure out of doing something nice for someone else just because they want to and those acts make this place a better world.

+1. This is exactly how I feel. :)

[coxfan]

When a person gets an artifact from a game ( which is what a g-u ball or bat is), it should be entirely his/her right what to do with it. At the South Carolina Gamecocks' stadium, ball-hawking has increased dramatically since the Gamecocks' two straight national titles. And with over 7,000 fans per game, it's getting impossible to get a ball; whenever a foul comes out, there's already a mob waiting for it before it lands!

But there's no "give it to the kids" or "throw it back" nonsense. Probably half the adults who get a foul keep it, and nobody hassles them. I hope that doesn't change. But this Hamilton bat increased a lot in value with Hamilton's record-setting performance shortly thereafter in the same series. I hope the giver doesn't now regret giving it; and I hope the receiver of the bat values and keeps it.

[cjclong]

Once again, nobody on this thread , including me who started it, has said that a person who catches a ball, bat, etc. has any obligation to give it to anyone else. In fact, I said that being a Hamilton fan, I would have kept the bat. The facts were clear, an Orioles fan caught the Hamilton bat and, without anybody pressure from anyone, gave it to a boy who was a Hamilton fan. Very nice thing to do, end of story. Except then we started getting stuff about how stupid the guy was to give it away and gee, now maybe the bat is worth a fortune and the guy may be sorry he gave it away. This now seems to go under the heading of no good deed goes unpunished. The man was briefly interviewed afterward and he appeared knowledgable about baseball and a very nice man and I suspect the pleasure it gave him to give the bat to the kid was worth more to him than any money he could have get for the bat. As I said, I would have kept the bat, but that does not keep me from appreciating the kindness of a man who made a young boy happy, unlike some of the people writing in here who for some reason can't stand to hear or see someone doing something nice for someone else.

[camarokids]

I don't think anyone called the guy stupid. It is a great thing to give things to people to make them happy. It makes you feel good.

When my son was in preschool they were talking about baseball. So I took my pink bats in to school to show them. I also gave every boy in the class a game used baseball. I was two balls short so I went home and grabbed two more and came back.

I enjoy doing good for others. I have been told quite often I am a generous person. Which is just the way I am.

What I do not enjoy is seeing and hearing of some people expecting things to be given to them. Or the thinking that they are more deserving than you!

[coxfan]

Any kindness, even a simple compliment, can plant a positive seed and be remembered for years. I'm sure everyone hear also agrees that the sense of entitlement with baseball artifacts is wrong, and doesn't seem to have parallel in other forms of entertaiment.

[frikativ54]

I also gave every boy in the class a game used baseball.

Just guys???

[camarokids]

Just guys???
Yes just the boys. The girls had no interest, I am not sure why.

[frikativ54]

Yes just the boys. The girls had no interest, I am not sure why.

Oh, okay.

[cjclong]

Hope we can just all agree it was a nice gesture.

[camarokids]

Hope we can just all agree it was a nice gesture.

It was definitely a nice gesture! A very generous thing to do!

Karma, I bet it will come back to the guy that gave the bat away (in a good way).

[jppopma]

While I often take the daddy role in these arguments and will readily admit that I am now at the games just for my kids, I do feel that there is too much pressure to let kids get away with everything.

I for one will get front row seats to take my kids to the game and give them a chance to interact with the players (if they get anything, that's just a bonus). Even with my two kids there at the game with me, I am often made to look like the bad guy for not allowing 10 other kids (sometimes with parents too) to come and push my family out of the way and want to stand right in front of us and our seats. It gets pretty obnoxious and I can't blame anyone for being jaded toward those brats.

My kids are taught respect in talking with these players. Also that if they want a ball or something, that daddy will not ask for them and that they have to use manners and accept not getting one. It's really not hard for them to figure out and they are only 5 and 2. While they do pretty decent getting balls, I know that the games they enjoy and remember are ones where they get a bunch of high fives or sit and talk to a player for 20 minutes about who watches their dogs when they are out of town (yes, major serious concerns of a then 4 year old).

Back to the pressure to the kidless fans, who are we, the other fans, or announcers to tell them what they need to do with that ball or bat? How does anyone know what their plans are with it? Everyone immediately thinks that they are keeping it for themselves or planning to sell it. What if they have a kid, nephew(or niece Frik), or grandkid who is a super fan but not at the game with them....and they plan to take it home for someone alot more special that someone they don't even know.

[cjclong]

jppopma. It was absolutely clear that NO ONE pressured or tried to force the Orioles fan to give the bat to anyone. TOTALLY ON HIS OWN he decided to give the bat to a young boy who he knew to be a Josh Hamilton fan. That was very kind of him. It was something nice he did on his own and would have been the same story if the Orioles fan had given the bat to an 80 year old man who was a Hamilton fan. Look, I'm a Hamilton fan. If I had caught the bat the I would have kept it. If a kid had asked me for it I would have told him I was keeping the bat. So why do you, and other people keep writing in with what seems to be objections or reasons the guy shouldn't have given the bat to the kid. If a man had caught a bat or ball and some kid had come up and whinned about the man not giving it to him then you would have a reason to write about kids demanding a ball. That did not happen here. What I see is that every time there is a story about someone doing something nice for another person , and not just in the sprots world, there is always some person who writes in and gives some reason why the person who did the kind act shouldn't have done it. And I'm tired of it and that's why I won't let go of this. It was nice story about a man who did an act of kindess and that's all that needed to be said!

[jppopma]

cjclong: My post was in reply to the overall trend of things at the stadiums and in reference to many of the other post. Please accept my apologies for raining on your Kumbaya party about the niceness of this guy.

[cjclong]

No apology needed. Actually I agree with you and the others who believe many kids have a sense of entitlement and are allowed to act in a rude manner with no supervision and sometimes the encouragement of their parents .And I truly appreciate parents who teach their kids to be polite, its often all too rare. I just felt that topic ought to be in a separate thread (but I have to admit I'm sure I've gotten off topic in threads myself). What did bother me was people who came up with reasons why the man shouldn't do something nice for someone. Its been a long time since I was a kid and I remember to this day times that people went out their way to be kind to me and it reminds me that its good to do nice things for others (although I admit I don't do those things myself nearly as often as I might.) People often complain, and with good reason ,about some who act entitled to things. But the other side of the coin is people who adopt the idea, "I've got mine, the heck with you." I just felt there was something mean spirited about people coming up with essentially bogus reasons about why the genteman shouldn't have given the bat to the boy.

[spartanservitto]

Parents used to yell at me when I was in high school, me and my friends would go down almost every day to get autographs after our jobs. It always made me mad, we sacrifice ourselves, buy tickets on minimum wage jobs in order to meet our favorite players.... And now I'm getting lectured by someone who has more than enough money to go to a pro shop and buy their kid an autograph because they work a 9 to 5 salary job , and I'm supposed to let their child in when I've been their for 2 hours. I have no problem making room, and I also have no problem getting out of the way after I get mine ( i did it for josh Hamilton), but what bothers me is because I am in my mo twenties I'm not allowed to enjoy my favorite players and want to enjoy receiving a piece of memorabilia.

-Tony

[spartanservitto]

I also feel sick sometimes thinking what happens to this stuff these kids receive. I remember seeing a video of a kid swinging a Ryan Zimmerman bat around, banging it on seats etc. I guess I was always different and saw the value and history of items even at a young age.

-Tony

[EurekaDave]

OK. What about this? Suppose the adult kept the bat and then bought another souvenir for the kid.

Eureka Dave

[cjclong]

Two things .First, The gentleman who gave the bat the bat to the boy wasn't obligated to give him anything. He did it out of the goodness of his heart. No need to buy him anything. Second, It looked like the youngster was old enough to appreciate the bat. But if he wanted to swing it, a big so what? Its not Babe Ruth's 60th home run or Jeter's 3,000 hit bat. It's just a game bat of which there are dozens that was tossed into the stands. If appreciating it is the test now if an adult catches a bat are we going to do a check and see if he truly appreciates the significance of the bat and if he doesn't take it away and give it to a fan who knows more about bats? Just another manufactured reason not to give it to the kid.

[camarokids]

No apology needed. Actually I agree with you and the others who believe many kids have a sense of entitlement and are allowed to act in a rude manner with no supervision and sometimes the encouragement of their parents .And I truly appreciate parents who teach their kids to be polite, its often all too rare.

\You should see the kids at our little league park. They run around and disrespect the property. Throwing rocks on the fields and the roof of the clubhouse. Running on fields that have painted for the next game. Throwing trash on the ground. Their parents let them run around with reckless abandon. I did have a sandbox built in the offseason to help them find constructive stuff to do and not destroy the place. Has not helped totally.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program ;)!

[ncbadges]

I can't believe this thread is still going....lol


ncb