“They love going to games,” Drew Feltwell said about his family. That was precisely the reason the family was excited to watch their team, the Philadelphia Phillies, battle it out against the Marlins in Miami on Friday. But this time, it was extra special because Feltwell also wanted to celebrate his son, Lincoln’s, upcoming 10th birthday. All was going well. In the fourth inning, Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader planted a home run into the left field seats, and the proud father quickly gathered the ball and gave it to his son. That’s when all hell broke loose.

A woman went up to the family and demanded the ball be handed over. While they were stunned at first, the father eventually relented to de-escalate the situation. The rest of the fans were just as unhappy with the woman’s behavior, and Philadelphia’s TV announcer, Ruben Amaro, called her out on the broadcast: “What is her problem?” As clips of the woman went viral on the internet, they began to refer to her as Phillies Karen. While Phillies fans already have a damning reputation, this just made it worse. Now, David Samson, the former Marlins president, has expressed his thoughts about the incident. “I sort of got a little sick in my mouth.”

“Not because the Marlins were getting attention, because there are people who do this… That is Philly’s fans at Marlins Park, where a woman claims that a man took the ball, and then the woman took the ball, and now the woman’s Karen… To make a long story short, there was a bit of a PR problem for the Phillies and the Marlins, and they both took care of it in the perfect way. 

“Why the Marlins? It was at their ballpark. Why the Phillies? It was people wearing their jerseys… What interests me about that is the decision-making that happens because we’re ready for it as a front office. There are things that we practice in the front office with our game day employees. There are things that we practice with our front office employees regarding customer service,” Samson said on his podcast ‘Nothing Personal with David Samson’.

He was referring to how both teams went out of their way to make the young lad feel special after the confrontation.

What did the Marlins do? Well, a Marlins employee went over to the family and spoke to the boy. After a few words of empathy, she handed over a gift bag, and inside were several other home run balls as well as a jersey and some collectibles.

What did the Phillies do? They did their part by later inviting the family to the locker room area. Lincoln got to meet Bader, but it doesn’t end there. The boy also received a signed bat from him.

Samson further explained how players sign various items in advance, which are then stored in inventory. They are used when the situation demands, like the goody bag Lincoln received. “When you’ve got a fan, who’s a kid, and you’re trying to build your fanbase, and yes, he a Phillies fan, but maybe he’s from Florida, maybe he’ll become a Marlins fan, maybe he won’t; but his kids will become a Marlins fan in 30 years and the streak of generations rooting for a team other than their hometown team will disappear… But when you are Marlins and you’re empowered, which Bruce Sherman has done to his people, you go right up to that person, and you give them a gift immediately.”

The ball-snatching incident exploded across social media, with many fans condemning the woman’s entitled behavior. Many even referred to her as public enemy #1. Yet beneath the viral outrage and corporate damage control lies a deeper story—one father’s split-second choice and a lesson behind that.

How Drew Feltwell taught his son a life lesson through the incident

When the father handed the ball to the woman, it was not just to end the confrontation. He wanted to set an example in front of his kids. “I think the world could use a little extra de-escalation,” Feltwell said during his appearance on America Reports on Monday. He further opined that the world has been quite tense lately, and that he didn’t want things to get heated in front of the cameras and his family.

While many social media users tried to identify the woman, several rumors were swirling around on the internet about her. One claimed her name was Cheryl Richardson-Wagner. However, a Facebook account in Wagner’s name debunked that, writing she wasn’t the one. “OK, everyone…. I’m not the crazy Phillies mom (but I sure would love to be as thin as she is and move as fast)…. and I’m a Red Sox fan.”

Regardless, Feltwell hopes the internet lets her be and doesn’t cause harm.