Nice gesture by a fan

[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.