Phillies dad apologizes to young son after giving home run ball to demanding 'Karen'

The father who was part of a viral incident at a Philadelphia Phillies game where a “Karen” insisted he give her a home run ball he had gotten for his son, apologized to his son for giving the ball away when confronted. 

The incident took place in the outfield seats after a home run was hit. Video captured a gray-haired woman, described online as a “Karen,” angrily confronting the father after he retrieved the ball. The woman claimed he had taken it from her, shouting, “You took it from me. It was in my hand.”

The father initially gave the ball to his son, but after the heated argument, he took it back from the boy’s glove and handed it to the woman to end the dispute.

The exchange sparked boos from the crowd, and stadium staff later stepped in to make things right for the boy. He was given multiple home run balls, a goodie bag, and after the game, Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader presented him with a signed bat.

In a follow-up interview with NBC10 Philadelphia, the boy said he thought the woman was going to get the ball anyway. His father admitted he chose to give it up just to stop the confrontation.

“She wasn’t gonna take it, but I decided to give her the ball,” the dad said. “I apologize to you, but it was the right thing. We just wanted her to go away. And it worked out, you got a bat.”

Asked if he regretted the decision, he explained, “That was what we were there for. We were there to get a home run ball. So I thought I had accomplished this great thing and putting it in his glove meant a lot.”

“She was just so adamant and loud and yelling and persistent, and I just didn’t want to deal with it anymore. There was hundreds of people just staring, and like I said, she was very, very, very close.”