An Ohio man caught on camera stealing a home run ball from an 11-year-old girl is now apologizing after facing intense backlash on social media.
The Incident
During Monday's game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays, Max Quinn attempted to retrieve a home run ball hit by Guardians' center fielder Daniel Schneemann. He initially dropped the ball during recovery. Eleven-year-old Evelyn Moore then snatched the ball, but Quinn grabbed it from her hand and returned to his seat.
Broadcasters noticed Quinn's actions and expressed disapproval. The announcers were heard saying, "Noooo, he's not gonna steal that? And then he was proud of it ... Give that ball back. C'mon."
Aftermath and Apology
Tampa Bay Rays sideline reporter Ryan Bass attempted to make amends by giving balls to Evelyn and her brother. The children's mother, Nikki Moore-DeVore, praised the Rays for their kindness on Facebook. However, Quinn received anonymous threats, and his collectibles business, Uncover Vintage, was flooded with 1-star reviews on Google.
Quinn told Cleveland Fox affiliate WJW, "It's been a rough 24 hours; 36 hours." He added, "I've also learned that the internet is a really mean and scary place. A lot of people have said a lot of really mean things." He admitted making "a lot of mistakes" and said he is "utterly sorry for everything that's transpired. It was a heat-of-the-moment thing. I made a bad decision; a lot of bad decisions. I'm paying for it online."
Quinn claimed he only noticed a baseball glove and "didn't know it was a little girl" wearing it. He confessed that refusing to return the ball, even after Evelyn's younger brother asked, was "a big mistake." He said, "I went back to my seat, and I heard it from the fans and the people. I was sitting there, and I'm like, 'I won't be able to sleep at night if I don't give this ball back.'"
Forgiveness
Evelyn's mother told the Los Angeles Times that Quinn's "life shouldn't be ruined over this" and added, "Jokes and memes are one thing, but it's getting excessive. It's too much." In Quinn's WJW interview, Evelyn sent a video message: "Hi Max, thanks for giving us the ball back. We forgive you for it. We know the internet has been going wild over this. We hope they forgive you."
Quinn said he is using the incident for personal improvement: "I'm just trying to do good by myself and my business. I hope that people in the city and people here in Cleveland and Guardians fans and everybody can forgive me, give me a second chance. That's all I can ask for."
