Max Quinn, a Cleveland Guardians fan, had his life turned upside down when he snatched a home run ball from an 11-year-old, Evelyn, when his team clashed with the Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field on Monday, April 27.
In a matter of hours, Quinn went from complete anonymity to public enemy number one for baseball enthusiasts, who called him everything from “pathetic” to “greedy.”
Highlights
- A man who went viral earlier this week for stealing a baseball from a young girl has addressed the criticism he received in the aftermath of the incident.
- He admitted guilt over his actions but also conveyed that netizens were excessively harsh on him.
- A sideline reporter who saved the girl’s day during the game received the opposite treatment.
Seeing no end to the harassment, Quinn decided to face the controversy head-on, appearing in an interview where he addressed his critics, as well as the little girl at the center of the story.
The man who sparked outrage by stealing a baseball from a young girl admitted feeling guilty
Image credits: FOX 8 News Cleveland
Appearing on Fox 8 yesterday (April 29), Quinn said whatever happened during the game was a “heat-of-the-moment thing.”
“I’m so utterly sorry for everything that transpired. I made a bad decision. I’m paying for it online,” he added.
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Image credits: FOX 8 News Cleveland
Quinn’s actions were captured by the Rays' broadcast on Monday. He was seen botching the home run catch, which caused the ball to land on the floor.
Evelyn was seen coming down the steps to try to secure it, only for Quinn to run over and grab it first.
Quinn insisted that he “didn’t realize it was a little girl” at the time, saying all he could see was an outstretched glove going for the ball.
He said he did not understand the severity of what he had done until he got back to his seat.
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He said he was criticized by fellow attendees.
“I won’t be able to sleep at night if I don’t give this ball back,” he recalled realizing.
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Quinn shared that he returned the ball to Evelyn a while after, but acknowledged he should have done it immediately.
“I didn’t do it in a timely fashion. I didn’t do it the right way. If I could do it all over again, I would have just grabbed it, given it to her, and been done with it,” he said.
While the episode sparked heated reactions, Evelyn and her mother said they forgave Quinn
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Appearing in a recorded video during Quinn’s interview, Evelyn thanked him for giving her the ball back.
The girl said she forgives him for his conduct, adding, “We know the internet has been going wild over this. We hope they forgive you, too.”
Image credits: FOX 8 News Cleveland
Evelyn’s mom, Nikki DeVore, spoke to a local radio show on Wednesday, where she said her family has “no ill feelings toward” Quinn.
She pleaded with others to stop harassing him over his mistake.
Quinn’s business was also affected by the controversy
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Quinn was not only widely criticized online, with one user calling him a “greedy growna** man” and another stating that no man should attempt to catch a ball “unless it is to protect a woman or child.”
His store, Uncover Vintage, was bombarded with one-star Google reviews following the incident.
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He said he was also forced to delete his social media because he received threatening messages.
“It’s been a rough 24 to 36 hours,” Quinn said.
“I’ve learned that the internet is a very mean, scary place,” he added.
A sideline reporter received the opposite treatment from netizens for his gesture toward Evelyn
Image credits: Nikki DeVore
Ryan Bass, who covers Tampa Bay Rays matches for Rays TV and NewsNation, reached up to the section where Evelyn was seated after witnessing that she was wronged by Quinn.
He handed her and her brother two different baseballs, posed for a selfie with them, then walked away.
Evelyn was deeply moved by the act and was seen crying.
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“Kudos to the reporter for doing the right thing — keeping the spirit of the game alive for kids,” an X user wrote in appreciation of Bass.
“Salute to my guy,” another added.
Nikki DeVore also thanked Bass and the Tampa Bay Rays broadcaster, who continued to show a grown man clashing with her daughter while Cleveland’s coverage had cut away, in a Facebook post.
"The only reason he apologized was because he was caught on video," a netizen said
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