Family Says They Gave Up Phillies Home Run Ball to De‑escalate Confrontation
Drew Feltwell said an irate fan confronted his family after Harrison Bader’s homer and he handed over the ball to calm the situation; the Phillies later provided souvenirs and an autographed bat.
A Pennsylvania family at the center of a widely shared video from a Philadelphia Phillies–Miami Marlins game said they surrendered a home run ball to defuse a confrontation with an irate fan.
Drew Feltwell, his son Lincoln and daughter Avery described the Sept. 5 incident on Fox News Channel’s "America Reports" on Monday. The clip shows Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader hit a home run and Feltwell running to claim the souvenir, handing it to his young son before a female fan in a Phillies jersey approached and demanded the ball.
Feltwell said the woman was "very vulgar," screaming profanities and insisting the ball belonged to her because it landed in her section. "I can’t even repeat that on air. She was very vulgar," he said. "Screaming right in my ear that, you know, lotta bad words and, ‘That’s my ball.’ That was her section and trying to tell me she had the right to that ball. The screaming and yelling kinda got to us and I just wanted her to go away. So, that’s how she got the ball."
He said he gave the ball to the woman to de‑escalate the situation and protect his children from further confrontation. "No, I think the world could use a little extra de‑escalation," Feltwell said. "Everything is so tense. The world is pretty crazy and I don’t want to do anything like that in front of my son or on camera. It was tough giving the ball back but it ended that situation."
Video of the exchange circulated widely on social media after the game in Miami. Internet users attempted to identify the woman in the footage; Feltwell said online sleuths had targeted the wrong people and he hoped the attention would not lead to harm. "Well, I’d love to get the ball to give back to my son," he said. "But I don’t want anything bad to happen to her. Definitely not happy with her. Our evening worked out quite well afterward. So, can’t complain."
The Phillies organization sought to make amends. Feltwell said the team provided Lincoln a package of souvenirs, and Bader personally gave the boy an autographed bat.
Lincoln told reporters he hoped the ball "meant a lot to her," indicating no lingering anger from the younger family member. The Feltwells said the rest of their evening at the ballpark proceeded without incident.
The exchange adds to a string of high‑profile fan confrontations at sporting events that have prompted discussion about crowd behavior and stadium security protocols. Teams and leagues typically reserve home run balls as game souvenirs when retrieved by stadium staff, but balls caught by spectators often become contested moments when proximity and possession are unclear.
Feltwell said he stood by his decision, emphasizing the importance of keeping the situation calm for his children. The Phillies’ response and Bader’s gift were presented as the team’s effort to address the matter without escalating the public dispute that followed the viral video.