Man Nearly Knocks Down Boy Going For Foul Ball - Keeps Ball - Heckled

[matcom]

<snip>

FORT WORTH, Texas -- The mother of a boy who was nearly knocked over when a man leaped for a foul ball says she was shocked that the man didn't give her son the ball.

The incident happened in the third inning of Sunday's Texas Rangers game against the St. Louis Cardinals when Gary Matthews Jr. lifted a foul ball into the stands at Ameriquest Field in Arlington, Texas.

A man went tumbling to get the baseball and nearly knocked over 4-year-old Nicholas O'Brien. The boy's mother, Eddie O'Brien, was not happy about it as she whacked the man with her program before he managed to escape back to his seat. Texas Rangers broadcaster Tom Grieve was also not impressed.

"Yeah, you got the ball, buddy. Nice going, you took it away from a little kid. Hold it up, you should be real proud of yourself," Grieve said during the televised broadcast. "Go to a sporting goods store and buy a dozen baseballs if you want them that bad."

http://www.wftv.com/sports/3419915/detail.html

[underpants]

1. I actually turned the TV onto that game right after it happened

The idiot was all smiles and the announcers said something like "Wow aren't YOU great" "Yeah he really has a lot to be proud of huh?"

[HuckleB]

2. No one can ridicule poor Steve Bartman again!

This guy is hated by everybody! What a chump. He was on every local sportscast last night across the country, not to mention ESPN and cable news networks. You know he'll be on all the late-night talk shows tonight. He's gotta be in hiding by now. Time to become a monk.

[Commendatori]

10. Oh, yes they can

That's like saying no DUer can slam Reagan anymore just because Bush came along and was even more of an ass. Bartman was an idiot, and deserved to be ridiculed (he certainly didn't deserve death threats, but he did deserve to be mocked).

BTW, I've heard very little about this jerk in Texas. Has his name come out yet?

[HuckleB]

11. Hmm. Taking a game a bit too seriously, I see.

I haven't seen his name published yet -- not sure if we'll get it unless his friends (or an enemy) rats him out. He was all over the news last night, however.

[Commendatori]

16. No, I'm not even a Cubs fan, but

if your team has a chance to make an out, you treat that ball as if it's radioactive. I've never understood the mania over souvenir baseballs anyway, and I sure wouldn't have tried to get one on national TV.

As an aside, I'd like to see networks stop showing the idiots who manage to catch / retrieve foul balls, period. It does nothing to enhance the viewer experience.

[HuckleB]

17. Yeah, sure, you betcha.

Whatever you say.

:)

[Catherine Vincent]

3. Keith Olberman showed this last night on his show.

That guy acted like a jerk. Probably a republican.

[Fenris]

5. PROBABLY?

In Ft. Worth? It's a definite!

[bkcc]

4. Disgraceful.

I saw the replay on ESPN and the announcers on SportCenter called him out for it. Even made it a point to show the guy's face up close when they were criticizing him.

Dipshit.

[Book Lover]

6. Repercussions of being a jerk

Looks like the little guy won this one, eh?

[JM]

7. Pretty damn cool Reggie

came out to give him a bat. Not sure if he was prompted to or not, but that kids will be a fan for life.

I expected the ballpark to suck up. I didn't expect a player to...

JM

[frylock]

8. you left out the best part..

There was also a little extra for the man who got the ball, but he left two innings later and never received the Cardinals T-shirt on which "Tough Guy" and "Ball Stealer" were written by reliever Steve Kline.

"I'm a big fan of giving kids balls," Kline said. "He was a real jerk about it. That's part of life, people like that in the world. They do something like that - I don't understand."

http://rockymountainnews.com/drmn/rockies/article/0,1299,DRMN_19_2964049,00.html

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

12. No, THIS was the best part:

"In the next few minutes, both teams sent bats and balls to the boy, which included Cardinals outfielder Reggie Sanders coming out between innings to do so. The boy also got a Nolan Ryan-autographed ball."
:loveya:

[HuckleB]

9. Video available here.

http://www.news8austin.com/content/your_news/default.asp?ArID=109930

[ronnykmarshall]

15. He looks like a jerk.

Notice the smirk on this face. Remind you of someone?

[bluestateguy]

13. Typical selfish Texan

No, all Texans are not that way, but a good 60% are.

[GOPisEvil]

14. I hope the guy's girlfriend took note of what a bastard he is, and dumps

his sorry ass.

That guy is a world-class A-1 jerk.

Kudos to Reggie Sanders and the Texas Rangers for having a heart.

[minkyboodle]

18. who are these people?

I mean I have met some class A Assholes in my life but this guy just blows my mind. Glad to see the teams helped the kid out, class move all the way.

[fudge stripe cookays]

19. They've had this on our local Dallas news...

two mornings in a row now, on WFAA (our ABC affiliate).

Yeah, the guy looks like a monumental dickwad. This swaggering asshole attitude. Didn't give a crap what happened to the kid. The kid was sitting there bawling his eyes out, and he just leaned back in his chair and gloated.

Down here...definitely Republican. Didn't even have to look at him twice.

And that was great they gave the kid the bat AND the ball. The mother has been overwhelmed with requests to tell their story to the media, evidently.

I had not heard the asshole's name from local media anywhere yet. It may come out later.

FSC

[lpbk2713]

20. I just hope the asshole was supposed to be at work

that day and called in sick. Now everyone where he works not only knows where he was but now they have a confirmation of what an asshole he is. I hope his boss fires his ass.

[Kat45]

21. I didn't see the video, so I'll ask those who did:

Is it possible that the guy didn't even see the kid there when he was excitedly diving for the ball? Would the kid have been the one to get the ball if the guy didn't dive, or would someone else have likely caught it?

I'm not defending the guy--like I said, I didn't see the footage--and he may well be an asshole, but I just tend to get annoyed with the sickening deference to kids, to "the children," in this society. Like I said, I don't know how the guy got the ball, but if I caught a ball fair and square I would be pissed off if people expected me to give it to a kid just because it was a kid. If I caught a ball, it would probably be the one and only time it happened. And when I was a kid, nobody would have done that for me--we were expected to show deference to adults.

I'm just speaking in hypotheticals because I don't give a shit about baseball or catching a baseball; I'm just trying to frame the situation.

[ronnykmarshall]

22. I saw it

There is no way he didn't see that kid.

[Shakespeare]

23. Not only did he see the kid....

....he also climbed up between the mother's legs to get the damn ball. She swatted him a couple of times with her program, but the guy deserved to have his ass kicked. He would've if he'd touched ME that way. What a creep!

[NashVegas]

24. Even If He Didn't See the Kid

The proper thing would have been to apologize profusely - where were his southern manners, for crying out loud - and, if he still wanted to keep the ball, buy him some ice cream or something. If you're gonna be a dick, at least be a dick with manners.

[Pithlet]

28. It's not deference

People don't do things like that for kids out of deference. They do it because they're nice people. You're right, there is no obligation. You don't have to do it. But, don't deride others that think it is the right thing to do, and call it something it isn't. And if someone goes out of their way, and competes with a child for the ball, and then keeps it for themselves, then that is being an asshole.

[Kat45]

31. Maybe deference isn't the right word, but I just get annoyed by

the way children are often considered to be "more valuable" than adults. Whenever there's some kind of tragedy, such as a fire or accident, the news will tell you how many were killed/injured, then tell you how many were children. That always annoys me because it implies that their loss is more important than the adults' losses. (A related thing is the way certain wingnuts value an unborn child more than the adult woman bearing it, or even children already born.) I think each individual is equally valuable. This situation with the foul ball, to me, just falls into that category. That's what I meant when I used the word "deference."

[Pithlet]

36. Yes, each individual is equally valuable

That is not really what is being implied when children are mentioned in catastrophes. It is more poignant to many because when a child dies, it is a life cut drastically short. Children haven't lived long enough to truly experience a lot of what life has to offer. I do think the media may overblow the coverage for sensationalism. It isn't that they are more valuable, and it's not that people aren't as shocked or saddened at other loss of life. Very few children were killed in the attacks on 9/11, and their deaths weren't really focused on, for example.

In fact, I think overall, children are nowhere near overvalued in our society, not even in the US. In the US, programs that help poor children are being scaled back. Children are often the ones that suffer most because of bad policies. If we valued our children, daycare would be easily available and affordable for all, for example. Our schools would be excellent, even in the poorest areas. Children wouldn't go hungry, here or anywhere.

[Kat45]

39. You're right about that,. That's because they talk the talk, but

don't walk the walk. It's mostly lip service. Those who make the policies have the money so that their children get all that they need; they don't care about anyone else when it comes down to the bottom line.

[Pithlet]

40. Exactly

It sounds good, because everyone likes to think they care about kids, but doesn't actually get anything done.

[Beware the Beast Man]

46. You don't have kids, do you?

nt

[Kat45]

48. Nope. Don't have any; never wanted any.

Gee, how'd you guess? :D

Edited to add: I'm a woman who doesn't have a maternal bone in her body :shrug:

[fudge stripe cookays]

25. The Loser's name is Matt Starr....

and he lives just down the road from reprehensor and I in Sachse (say it SAK'see).

And they're saying the loser was once a youth counselor of some sort!

The mom is supposed to be on Good Morning America this morning. They also mentioned that his date LEFT SEPARATELY! Smart girl.

Just an update for any of you interested folks.

FSC

[bbernardini]

26. Has anybody trashed his yard yet?

Just wonderin'. ;)

[bkcc]

27. Update on the incident:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=545&e=1&u=/ap/foul_ball_boy

[skypilot]

30. Oh. The prick's married.

That poor woman has to LIVE with this guy. If she were merely his girlfriend she could just dump his ass. Do they have No Fault divorce in Texas?

[VeniceBeat]

32. Former "Youth Minister"

Ha ha.

[devilgrrl]

34. I love this...

The man who took the foul ball has not responded publicly to the criticism, but The Dallas Morning News identified him as Matt Starr, a married, 28-year-old landscaper and former youth minister.

Starr is "not the bad guy he's been made out to be," said Rick DuBose, senior pastor of the Sachse Assembly of God Church. "He probably got a little aggressive and did something he regrets. But that's not Matt. He's a good kid, a good young man."

of course he is... :eyes:

[HuckleB]

41. Matt Starr, youth minister, married man, public nuisance.

This is clearly a guy who has covered his ass to make an impression, while being a goofy dufus elsewhere. Only he's not too bright, and he forgot that the cameras would catch him at a ballpark. Ooooops.

Matt Starr, you're our distraction of the week. The superjerk who came out of nowhere, so we would forget about your pal George for a while.

[emanresu]

29. The kid flopped.

...just getting my NBA fix.

[rene moon]

33. Oh please!

The kid didnt die and now he is getting more attention that he deserves. Not everything in life is for the damn kids!!!

[Pithlet]

37. Are you jealous?

;) Maybe if you call or write, they'll send you something, too.

[rene moon]

38. No, I am not jealous

The kid wasnt owed anything. Yeah the guy probably shouldnt have trampled the kid but he didnt have to give the ball to the kid either.
And he didnt, so what? Obviously the kid is fine and getting too much media attention.

[put out]

42. Righto!

Because if you're little or young or weaker, is it some big smirking doofus' fault if he grabs what is yours? No! I should say not! It is up to the biggest to get theirs no matter who they trample!

And, the kid should not be getting any media attention! Nosiree! The kid should be sent to his room for being in the way of a big doofus when the doofus was grabbing and rolling and crawling for what is rightfully the big doofus'! Because the doofus is bigger, and if a four year old can't compete with that doofy superiority, well so what! All of the glory should be going to the big doofus who pushed the four year old aside and shoved him, and then had the bravery to crawl on the floor under the mother's legs and crawl over her on the way back to his seat.

The Big Doofus is now getting all the media attention he can stand, I would bet. I hope his family, employers, clients, neighbors, and community members are giving him lots of attention. Lots!

[rene moon]

43. If you are trying to make me feel bad, it's wont work

I am living in an alternate universe. There is a war on. It is an election year. There is still no cure for AIDS or cancer or Alzheimer's. Many people still do not have certain basic human rights because of their sexual preferences. Women's rights are being eroded every day. The economy is in the toilet. So I dont get why this kid is getting so much media attention!

Why does he deserve the ball, or the gifts he received from both teams, or the free trip to NYC, or the appearance on Good Morning America and the subsequent gifts? What did he do? The kid would have forgotten about the whole thing by the time he got home if his parents had just let it go. But no! They're entitled to these gifts! God forbid he should have to learn that sometimes things don't go our way in life. That not every stranger is going to bow down and worship us.

Why is this news? This should not even be local news. It most certainly should not be on Yahoo News or CNN or Good Morning America. IT ISN'T NEWS!!! The kid worship in this country just makes me ill sometimes....

[Pithlet]

44. Kid worship

While I agree that the media is exaggerating this, I don't agree with you on the whole kid worship thing. I think it is exactly the opposite, in fact. And your initial post didn't seem to be taking the media to task, but the kid himself.

[GumboYaYa]

51. I haven't seen anything that indicates that the kid or his family

feel entitled to gifts or that they have asked for gifts in any way. They are simply the recipients of someone else's largess; I would accept the gifts in the same situation. Your problem should be with the media or the gift givers, not the kid. It seems like your anger is very misplaced and is really a rant against children in general and not this specific situation.

"Bow down and worship," how about show some respect and not trample........

As for kid worship, please show me how that is possible when one out of four children in the US live in poverty. Social services to children are being cut at the federal, state and local levels.

[put out]

52. Not trying to make you feel bad.

People have real, life-long, life-threatening problems. Many of them do; I hope not you. Many people are being deprived of basic human rights. And you are correct in that we all learn soon enough that things don't go our way in life.

This nasty example of human behavior is getting press because it happened when it was being televised. You may remember a few instances when human behavior at its very finest was also televised. It's the nature of the medium. People do things shitty every day, and every day people do acts of generosity and kindness. It is not bowing down to a child to try to make up for that ass hat's actions.

The child may have forgotten all about it, true, but as a child I certainly would remember some doofus falling into me and scrambling about under my mother's seat and taking a baseball which was under my feet.

[HuckleB]

47. Ah, let him get his kicks.

Plenty of people get way more attention than they deserve, and they spend their time trying to get it. This kid just happened to walk into it. I'd rather let him have it than the dopes crying out for it.

Sure, it's a sign of the lack of a serious media in the U.S. But it's not like we didn't know the state of that already.

[Kat45]

49. Thank you, rene.

Good to see someone else here who shares my opinion. :hi:

[Pithlet]

50. It's not like the kid asked for it.

[Ganja Ninja]

35. If you snooze you lose in Dick Cheney's America.

I'll lay 10 to 1 odds the guy is a member of Freerepublic.

[Beware the Beast Man]

45. The thing that gets me is

IT'S A FUCKING FOUL BALL!!!! It wasn't as if it was Bonds' 73 Home run ball or anything, it was a foul.

[TEXASYANKEE]

53. The state of the media.

It's the current state of the media that *this* is considered news. Yes, the guy was a rude jerk, flinging himself into the row in front of him, knocking the kid out of the way and scurrying around under the mother's seat. And his smirking face on the news made me want to buy a ticket, go to the game, and throw a cup of beer over his bald head. But this is NOT news. Or, at the very least, it should have come during the last 20-seconds of the newscast, for filler. Instead it lead the Dallas stations as Leading News. For crying out loud, THIS is *the most important thing* happening in Dallas??

I give credit to the ballplayers for stepping up and giving a bat and ball to the kid. I watched an interview with the family and they seem like nice, educated folks raising the kid (Nick) to the best of their ability. And Nick seems like a normal 4-year old. But, I'm sorry, this is not NEWS.