Posted on 06/14/2004 8:45:33 PM PDT by Diddle E. Squat
ARLINGTON – Four-year-old Nick O'Brien proved why baseball will always be a kid's game.
The Plano resident, who was watching his first major league game with his parents, Edie and Jeff, became the sympathetic figure of fans when he was pushed aside in the scramble for a foul ball at Ameriquest Field in Arlington on Sunday.
But the ugliness had a happy ending. Nick went home with two big league bats and four baseballs. Two of the items came personally from St. Louis outfielder Reggie Sanders.
"I felt in my heart I should do something," Sanders said. "You gotta remember, it's all about the kids. As a player, we're able to reach out more."
In the bottom of the third inning of St. Louis' 13-2 victory, an unidentified fan crushed Nick on a foul ball hit by Gary Matthews Jr. in a section near the St. Louis dugout.
Witnesses said the stockily built fan, who appeared to be in his 30s, jumped over his row into O'Brien's. He then pinned Nick against the seats with his legs and grabbed the ball.
Mom, dad and other fans weren't happy. Edie scolded the fan. Nick didn't appear to be hurt but was shaken up.
"I couldn't believe someone would do something like that to a 4-year-old boy," Edie said. "He wasn't friendly."
It didn't take long for fans to respond. Mike Hall of Fort Worth, about 10 rows behind the incident, stood up and shouted, "Give him the ball!" The chant mushroomed to nearby sections. Even Rangers announcer Tom Grieve voiced his disapproval on TV. But the fan refused and was booed.
Eventually, the distraction reached the Texas and St. Louis dugouts. Sanders, who saw what happened on TV, went to the section and called Nick and Edie down to the rail to give them a bat and ball. The Rangers also gave Nick a bat from outfielder Kevin Mench. By the next inning, Nick had three more baseballs.
Asked on television what he thought about the whole thing, Nick said, "Cool."
The offending fan and his female companion left the game after the fourth inning.
"He's had a rough time," Edie said of Nick. "I think he thinks this is what is supposed to happen at every game."
But kudos to Reggie Sanders and the Texas Rangers ballclub, both immediately reacted to try and make the situation right. Rumor has it that one of those baseballs they gave the kid was connected to Nolan Ryan.
One error in the callouts in your photo - any creature that would push aside a 4 year old for a baseball cannot be considered a "man" by any stretch.
I think ya got the "kid" and the "man" arrows mixed up ;-)
Incredible... This guy is so into the game he forgets about decorum.. I saw the clip tonight ,, what a doof.
His partner must be so proud of him.. lol
perfect Katie Couric material for an interview
See the video of the moron here: http://wb33.trb.com/
Click the link on the right column. Love how the mom swats him away with her program.
This jerk was STUPID and lucky to get away with what he did. Where's a creative cop when you need one?
Hey Meek, ya probably already heard about this, but here ya go.
Good for Reggie Sanders and the Texas Rangers. The Rangers should have had the jerk who ran over the kid escorted from the ballpark.
That "fan" was as ugly as the Rangers' pitching.
What an a$$.
Hope his girlfriend sees him for what he is and dumps him.
Texas Ping!
Hey Diddle (Diddle! :-)) doncha have a better screencap? You know how much we Freepers love a public shaming! We gotta find out who this guy is!
I see you already pinged Meek. I forgot about his new screenname --- strange that the old one still works...
More than likely, the punk is a democrat.
§ 22.01. ASSAULT. (a) A person commits an offense if the person:
(1) intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes bodily injury to another, including the person's spouse;
(2) intentionally or knowingly threatens another with imminent bodily injury, including the person's spouse; or
(3) intentionally or knowingly causes physical contact with another when the person knows or should reasonably believe that the other will regard the contact as offensive or provocative.
It certainly seems to me that touching the mother between the legs would meet the test of subparagraph 3. After obtaining a conviction, go for a civil suit.
Here's another tidbit I found while looking for the final score (13-2):
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" was written by reliever Steve Kline.
"I'm a big fan of giving kids balls. He was a real jerk about it,'' Kline said. "That's part of life, people like that in the world. They do something like that. I don't understand."
Hopefully, he's doing more important things than voting. Like mugging old ladies, or perfecting beer bong technique, or panhandling....
And then he holds the ball up in triumph. What a tool.
But the fan refused and was booed.
I hope he REALLY enjoys the ball. I can just imagine him telling the tale of how he got the ball, "I saw my chance and made my move, there was this little kid in the way but NOTHING was going to stop me from getting this ball".
Edie O'Brien, back center, holds her four-year-old son, Nicholas, as St. Louis Cardinals (news)' Reggie Sanders (news) (16) speaks with him after Sanders gives the boy a bat during their game against the Texas Rangers (news), Sunday, June 13, 2004. At left Rangers usher Jan Oliver offers Nicholas a ball. Nicholas was knocked down when a fan scrambled for a foul ball. (AP Photo/Linda Kaye)
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