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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe "foul ball couple" MUST be Republican. They're demanding an apology, saying "they had no idea"
By Steve DelVecchio April 27, 2012 - Posted in Baseball
http://larrybrownsports.com/baseball/rangers-couple-wants-apology-over-foul-ball/132073
By now you have probably seen the video of that young Rangers fan crying hysterically after he failed to snag a ball that a player tossed into the stands earlier this week. Mitch Moreland threw the ball into the stands, it hit the ground, and a happy couple wound up with it. The boy, three-year-old Cameron Shores, was devastated. He soon forgot about the first ball when the team gave him another ball later in the game, and WFAA in Dallas has reported that he is thrilled with the ball he now has.
The couple who was has been vilified, however, is not happy. Sean Leonard and Shannon Moore are getting married this weekend. This should be one of the most exciting weeks of their lives, but instead they have seen their faces all over the news and been labeled horrible people. That is unfair, they say, since they had no idea that the young boy was upset.
I love children, I would never hurt someone, Moore said. Its very hurtful, especially when you know you wouldnt intentionally hurt somebody or hurt their feelings. Especially when its a little-bitty toddler.
My fiance Shannon and I were honestly unaware of the situation of the little boy sitting next to us last night since we were so caught up in the excited and moment of being at our first Rangers baseball game together, Leonard wrote in a statement.
hlthe2b
(102,379 posts)How could they not have been aware of the devastated child sitting next to them. Selfish louts.
Amerigo Vespucci
(30,885 posts)That's the part that brought down the initial heat. She is looking into the camera, holding up the ball and smiling, but by virtue of where she's facing, she is also looking directly at the kid.
They probably should have stopped with "We had no idea. We wouldn't do that."
The "demanding an apology" part only makes me think that they meant it and got busted.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)repuke you-know-what.
southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)to give the child the ball but she said no. She said he needed to understand you can't get everything you want by just crying. She said they were very nice and talked with them throughout the game. She said they even talked with the little boy. She doesn't blame the couple at all. So I guess we need to get off their back. However, I must say I would have given the child the ball any way.
hlthe2b
(102,379 posts)but the delay in getting there is what remains troublesome. With the explanation, that would be fine, UNTIL they started DEMANDING an apology from others.
southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)hlthe2b
(102,379 posts)Michael Kay, I think is his name.. I've heard a clip--he just described what he was seeing. I certainly don't think they are due an apology from him.
southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)renate
(13,776 posts)Both for sticking up for the couple and for teaching her son a good life lesson.
I didn't understand why this was such a big deal in the first place. What if they'd bought a hot dog and the kid cried because he wanted it? Nobody would have expected them to hand it over. I think they were nice for offering to give the ball to him--too bad the cameras didn't pick that part up.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)He was on the verge of tears because his mother didn't quit the interview and get him her IPad.
While I would have given the kid the ball, I also think your statement about the hot dog is a good one. Kids DO have to learn that they can't always get what they want.
CBGLuthier
(12,723 posts)who don't care about kids.
CTyankee
(63,912 posts)southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)ProfessorGAC
(65,212 posts)The kid's mom told them not to. Seems pretty simple to conclude that the young couple did the right thing and got villified.
GAC
southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)Mariana
(14,861 posts)the kid was upset?
My fiance Shannon and I were honestly unaware of the situation of the little boy sitting next to us last night since we were so caught up in the excited and moment of being at our first Rangers baseball game together.
Both of these stories can't be true. I wonder who's lying, and why.
southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)The other couple seemed to be into themselves anyway.
zappaman
(20,606 posts)The lynch mob does not want to hear your rational response.
southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)HappyMe
(20,277 posts)They were sitting right fucking there!
Renew Deal
(81,877 posts)It's pretty obvious that they have no idea what's going on around them. They don't deserve an apology from Michael Kay either.
Amerigo Vespucci
(30,885 posts)Maybe...and I'll give them the benefit of doubt on this...maybe they thought the screaming kid was just screaming about something else. But the woman looked right at the kid...maybe right through him...and just kept smiling. That's the part that made THE INTERNETS go viral on them. And like I said above, they lost a shot at public sympathy by demanding an apology. Now they'e just a couple of people whose primary interest is being "right."
Renew Deal
(81,877 posts)They are oblivious.
TlalocW
(15,392 posts)Cuz there's no crying in baseball. THERE'S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL!
TlalocW
southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)SwampG8r
(10,287 posts)hey batta hey batta swiiiiiing swiiiiiiiiing
FirstLight
(13,364 posts)but did you know we aren't allowed to even say that at little league anymore? We have to be SO fuckin P.C. now we can;t even teach them the good cheers/jeers
SwampG8r
(10,287 posts)we want a pitcher not a belly itcher
we want a catcher not a belly scratcher
oh yeah
Iggo
(47,571 posts)SidDithers
(44,228 posts)Sid
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)Can't wait to hear what he has to say to this couple. How do you not notice a crying child sitting right next to you. Hope it rains all over their wedding tomorrow.
Amerigo Vespucci
(30,885 posts)...not sure who said it, because my head was turned at the time and I only heard it, but they were discussing this and someone yelled "ARREST THEM! EVERYONE KNOWS WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE TOMORROW! ARREST THEM!"
sharp_stick
(14,400 posts)major league foul ball at Fenway Park in 2004. It was a Kevin Milar shot down the line that I snatched bare handed right before it hit me in the nose. When I held the ball up I was happy as hell, my ugly mug on the big screen , TV camera focused in. A bare handed catch in Fenway gets you a big ovation.
I sat down after collecting all my high fives and a minute or so later noticed a young girl a few seats over, maybe 9 or 10 looking over at me with this "You lucky son of a bitch" look on her face. I pulled the ball out of my pocket and handed it to her. One of the happiest days in my life and I was lucky enough to make it one of hers too.
That being said, it was one hell of an exciting rush I can see them not noticing the kid. Asking for an apology is kind of whiny though. They should just say they didn't see the kid or toughen up and say fuck it, I got the ball it's mine take their well deserved lumps.
renate
(13,776 posts)Or at least I'm happy to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Kids that age cry ALL THE TIME. (At least, it seems that way.) When the ball was coming towards the couple, their attention would have been on the ball--that's how you catch things, by watching as they come towards you--and they might very well not have realized that his crying was related to not getting the ball.
Plus, although it would have been super sweet of them to give it to him, his being upset about not getting the ball didn't entitle him to it. It would have been a nice thing for them to hand it to him, but unless there's some unwritten code about how kids in the vicinity of a ball automatically get it, I think it's sad that this couple's wedding is going to be overshadowed by embarrassment.
Having said all that, it did kind of look from the video that they realized what was going on--but that's because as I watched it I assumed that was the case. Now, maybe not.
(I read something sad in the comments in the Yahoo version of the story; some guy wrote to say that it had been a dream of his elderly father's to catch a ball ever since he was a little kid too poor to get into the stadium so he had to watch games from across the river (??); finally he caught one, but there was a kid nearby, and the crowd's reaction shamed him into giving it away. )
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)don't know what kind of stadium he's going to or where he's sitting, but a lot of minor league games are sparsely attended and he would have had a thousand chances had he tried those
DefenseLawyer
(11,101 posts)over in Cincinnati with my dad. I always took my glove to catch a foul ball. It never happened of course since we were always in the nosebleed section and had a better chance of being hit by debris from space. But I was ready.
LiberalFighter
(51,104 posts)From the video it did not appear that the couple were aware that what was happening next to them was related to the incident. Kids cry a lot. And I bet many try to turn the sound of crying kid off when they hear it. Unless, the environment indicates possible abuse or danger. Think about restaurants or other places with little kids crying and how many times you try to ignore it. The other thing is what was the noise like in that area? The crying may have only been a small part of the noise.
On them possibly seeing what was happening there might have been something where they were totally distracted from it and focus more on the event that just happened to them.
Kids are not entitle to anything just because they think they should have it.
bigwillq
(72,790 posts)I believe the couple when they say that they had no idea, and they have no obligation to give the ball to the kid even if they were aware.
What their political affiliation is is irrelevant, imo.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)the ball was thrown into the crowd, and because the kid's parents didn't get it, the other couple is villified?? Am I reading that right??
It's not like the kid or his parents clearly caught the ball and the couple flagrantly snatched it out of their hands (although that happens sometimes, too)...
And the kid STILL GOT A BALL FROM THE TEAM! So what's the faux outrage for? God forbid mom and dad just buy a ball from the gift shop to placate their son (and don't tell me they couldn't afford one after seeing their primo seats)
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)3 year olds DO need to learn that they don't get everything they want by crying, and the mother is the one who has to live with the ongoing tantrums if they don't learn it because of other people's indulgence. It's on a par with some large, dog-loving adult rewarding my big dog for jumping up on him. My dog knows better, but it's impossible to fix this issue when random strangers insist it's all right. It's not all right, and they aren't the ones that will pay the price if he jumps up on a kid or small adult and knocks him or her down.
Furthermore, however much the 3 year old was crying, catching the ball did NOT have even close to the same meaning to him that it did to the couple that caught it. Tots cry rivers about anything and everything one minute, and have forgotten it the next.
Personally, I am sick to death of spoiled, obnoxious brats that haven't learned they can't get everything they want by crying, whining, etc. They grow into adult spoiled obnoxious brats who pull the same shit...at work, dating, etc.
laundry_queen
(8,646 posts)I know what you mean, but I still cringe when I hear the word 'brats'. It's not really the kids' fault they are like that.
That said, 3 year olds crying is pretty much how things go when you are out in public and they don't get what they want. Many parents will give the child anything they want to shut them up to avoid the nasty looks from strangers. If they don't give the child something to quiet them, they are regarded as horrible parents with a nasty child. It's always a lose-lose situation.
Being a mom of 4 (all past 3 yrs now, thank god), I rarely gave in to my children in public when there was a tantrum thrown over wanting something. They DO have to learn they can't have everything they want. They need to be taught delayed gratification. I gladly tolerated nasty looks when my kids were throwing a tantrum over something they didn't get that they wanted RIGHT NOW. Sorry, honey, you definitely aren't getting it with this act. Some parents, however are so worried about 'what other people think' they neglect to teach their children the proper lessons.
LiberalFighter
(51,104 posts)There are brats and there are children that haven't learned yet and still in training. A 3 year old brat is different from a 7 or older brat because the 7 year old should know better. So the 3 year old in all likelihood is not a brat. It is just that we are upset with the behavior and label them that way.
Those parents that give in to their kids when they misbehave in public aren't helping the situation. Who is to say the kid has learned how to manipulate their parent(s). I would make sure that if a kid of mine misbehave like that they would suffer the consequence at another time. Best would be a time out immediately if possible. Maybe in that situation either take something away such as a treat or leave the game. A little drastic so probably take the kid down below to the concession area for about 10 minutes. It would require more thought.
SidDithers
(44,228 posts)is check for kids sitting around me, that I can give a ball to, just in case one falls in my beer. It's something that most of the adult baseball fans I know do. Kids get foul balls - it's an age old baseball tradition.
Sid
Amerigo Vespucci
(30,885 posts)I was reading a story a couple of years ago about some of the modern baseball players who charge for autographs and such, and in contrast, the writer shared an anecdote about how Joe DiMaggio always used to keep a supply of bats and balls in the trunk of his car. When he'd drive down a street and see a group of kids, he'd pull over and start handing them out. Kids are always going to be part of the baseball equation. I don't think it should ever become "all about the kids," but I also don't think they should be shut out.
KatyMan
(4,211 posts)I went to my first baseball game in 1972 and to hundreds and hundreds since then and never caught a foul ball/homer/ball thrown into stands, so I might just keep the first one And no way I'm throwing back an opposing team homer. That's dumb.
Marr
(20,317 posts)Because he cried? This country has a collective child fetish, I swear-- and it's kind of sick.
It's not like the player was trying to throw the ball to him. Someone else got it, and he cried. His mom had it exactly right, IMHO-- he's better off with the lesson that he can't get everything he wants just by crying.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)Just to make him cry more.
monmouth
(21,078 posts)Amerigo Vespucci
(30,885 posts)The woman had an ear-to-ear grin and held up the ball for a trophy shot while the kid bawled his eyes out.
If the couple weren't so self-absorbed, they might have connected the dots. I don't think they were under any obligation to give the kid the ball, but taking that victory lap was perhaps a bit "insensitive." I'm thinking of a number of other things they could have done that don;t involve giving away the ball.
monmouth
(21,078 posts)joeybee12
(56,177 posts)so-and-so.
All they had to do was say to the other parents, we want to keep it, but if your kid holds it for a while, we say it's ok. End of problem...classless buffoons.
monmouth
(21,078 posts)Initech
(100,104 posts)fishwax
(29,149 posts)fishwax
(29,149 posts)they were rubbing it in the kid's face (when the kid wasn't paying any attention to them) and to call them greedy.
The Philosopher
(895 posts)Considering the father never said a word to the couple and considering they were on a date and caught a foul ball; considering an exciting moment is always hectic; considering the announcers launched into an immediate attack...
Yes, they're Republicans.
Never mind that the Yankees were getting their ass kicked, too, at the time (if you can't beat the Rangers, beat their fans).
DefenseLawyer
(11,101 posts)But of course everyone will. It is sometimes possible to have a situation where there isn't a good guy and a bad guy.
DURHAM D
(32,611 posts)Bethany Rockafella
(952 posts)I know this child is very young but I hope he doesn't grow up thinking as long as he cries or throw a tantrum, he'll always get what he wants.
sadbear
(4,340 posts)Is a foul ball worth more than that?
Go Vols
(5,902 posts)When I saw the tread title I thought of this one.
Serve The Servants
(328 posts)not the other couple.
renate
(13,776 posts)She took it right out of that little girl's hands!!!!
fishwax
(29,149 posts)Serve The Servants
(328 posts)It is BAD luck to go after baseballs tossed into the stands by Rangers players.
First Josh Hamilton, now this.
CBGLuthier
(12,723 posts)Couple of self-absorbed assholes lets hope they don't.
WCGreen
(45,558 posts)I was half crocked and I just saw this kid and said, here you go, kid....
People around me clapped and bought me more beer so I felt like I made a good trade.
MrSlayer
(22,143 posts)You rarely get what you want in life and most people are assholes. Good to learn that early.