Poor Kid

[CHS_Grad '85]

Saw this story on the news this morning... really hate to be that guy who took the ball... lol


Get Out Of My Way, Kid!
I don't usually care much for sports, especially baseball, which I find slow and boring. Anyhow, this story was on one of the TV news shows this morning (there's a good picture of incident at that link). There was also an article about it in this morning's Ft. Worth Star-Telegram.

Nicholas O'Brien's first Texas Rangers game became an encounter to remember when another fan shoved the 4-year-old out of the way and into the spotlight.

Edie and Jeff O'Brien had just wanted to take their son for a nice afternoon at the ballpark. Then, Rangers center fielder Gary Matthews came to bat in the third inning with the Rangers trailing 12-0.

Matthews sent a high foul ball toward Section 22, between home plate and the St. Louis Cardinals' third-base dugout.

"It was coming straight at us," Edie O'Brien said. "I felt this person jumping, and I felt my husband trying to grab Nick. The guy was on my legs and feet, and I was trying to push the guy off. The next thing we knew, the guy had the ball."

The man, described as being in his 30s, was sitting a row behind the O'Briens. When he dove for the ball, he knocked Nicholas into the seats and ended up sprawled at the O'Briens' feet. The man came up with the foul ball and -- despite jeers and boos from the crowd, who wanted him to give the ball to Nicholas -- put it in his pocket.

This cretin eventually left (along with the woman who was with him) after being heckled by the crowd for the next inning. The crowd had taken to shouting "Give him the ball" at the unidentified jerk, although he just sat there smirking.

Fortunately, the boy was unhurt and one of the St. Louis players gave the boy a bat and ball. He was also given a bat from one of the Rangers and ended up with three more balls before the game was over. But it makes you wonder what other activities the unidentified jerk might enjoy. Knocking down little old ladies? Stealing candy from babies? Kicking puppies? They all sound like they'd be just to his liking...
Posted by Aubrey Turner (http://www.aubreyturner.org/)

Star-Telegram (http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/8916125.htm)
Grapevine's Ramblings (http://grapevinesooner.blogspot.com/)

http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20040613/capt.arl10806132141.cardinals_rangers_arl108.jpg
Edie O'Brien, back center, holds her four-year-old son, Nicholas, as St. Louis Cardinals'
Reggie Sanders (16) speaks with him after Sanders gives the boy a bat during their game
against the Texas Rangers, Sunday, June 13, 2004. At left Rangers usher Jan Oliver
offers Nicholas a ball. Nicholas was knocked down when a fan scrambled for a foul ball.

[3afan2K3]

This is being blown way out of proportion.

[CHS_Grad '85]

Maybe so... but I'd still hate to be that guy this morning... you know he's getting picked on mercy-lessly... lol... the video I watched had a nice shot of his face as he held up the ball...

[spiveyrat]

Originally posted by 3afan2K3
This is being blown way out of proportion.

How so? :confused:

[kaorder1999]

he is an idiot but I really am tired of seeing it on TV....its getting old

[marlin fan]

Originally posted by 3afan2K3
This is being blown way out of proportion.
***??? a grown a$$ man jumped on a lil boy for a ball that guy needs his a$$ kicked

[jason]

they said on the radio that he hasnt been back to his house yet because of reportes waiting on him lol...

[3afan2K3]

Originally posted by kaorder1999
he is an idiot but I really am tired of seeing it on TV....its getting old
He didnt jump on the kid his legs barely hit him. The media is making it sound like he beat the kid up to get the ball.

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

I think they're mad about the fact that he did that to the kid just to get the ball, and then didn't give it to him. He's a lousy human being if you ask me...taking a ball from a kid.

[GUNHO]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
I think they're mad about the fact that he did that to the kid just to get the ball, and then didn't give it to him. He's a lousy human being if you ask me...taking a ball from a kid.

Ditto!!:mad:

[bullfrog_alumni_02]

Originally posted by marlin fan
***??? a grown a$$ man jumped on a lil boy for a ball that guy needs his a$$ kicked i totally agree.

[BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END]

I wonder how much he could get if he sold the ball on Ebay.....:thinking:

[marlin fan]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
I wonder how much he could get if he sold the ball on Ebay.....:thinking:
I bet 3afan2k3 would prolly be the only to buy it!!!!

[CRHSeagle]

Sad part is that he's more famous now than most of us will ever be.

[wildstangs]

I just read that the guy will give the ball back, a letter of apology, and an undisclosed amount of Rangers tickets to the kids family. Looks like the heat finally caught up to him.

[Pudlugger]

Originally posted by GUNHO
Ditto!!:mad:

Got to agree with BBDE here. :)

[Sans Couth]

I think the media is blowing it out of proportion as well. Yes the guy bumped into the kid, but it did not look like it was on purpose to me. Sure he made a bad judgement call by not giving the kid the ball, after the fans started chanting for him to do so. But to call him a "Lousy Human Being" is not a very nice thing to do. The media is turning this guy into some sort of child molestor, and he is getting much more flak than he deserves. I personally, have seen much worse behavior by some of the guys that play the game. This poor guy is gonna end up getting hurt, because some other "genuine a$$hole" will end up punching this guy out in the "name of justice."

If anyone deserves a black eye over this thing, it is all of the sportscasters lined up to stone this guy.

[espn1]

He probably wont be doing much dating either.

[District303aPastPlayer]

Originally posted by Sans Couth
I think the media is blowing it out of proportion as well. Yes the guy bumped into the kid, but it did not look like it was on purpose to me. Sure he made a bad judgement call by not giving the kid the ball, after the fans started chanting for him to do so. But to call him a "Lousy Human Being" is not a very nice thing to do. The media is turning this guy into some sort of child molestor, and he is getting much more flak than he deserves. I personally, have seen much worse behavior by some of the guys that play the game. This poor guy is gonna end up getting hurt, because some other "genuine asshole" will end up punching this guy out in the "name of justice."

If anyone deserves a black eye over this thing, it is all of the sportscasters lined up to stone this guy.
Mark the day, i agree with Sans on this one.. and God said it best...
"Let he who have no sins cast the first stone."

[3afan2K3]

Originally posted by Sans Couth
I think the media is blowing it out of proportion as well. Yes the guy bumped into the kid, but it did not look like it was on purpose to me. Sure he made a bad judgement call by not giving the kid the ball, after the fans started chanting for him to do so. But to call him a "Lousy Human Being" is not a very nice thing to do. The media is turning this guy into some sort of child molestor, and he is getting much more flak than he deserves. I personally, have seen much worse behavior by some of the guys that play the game. This poor guy is gonna end up getting hurt, because some other "genuine asshole" will end up punching this guy out in the "name of justice."

If anyone deserves a black eye over this thing, it is all of the sportscasters lined up to stone this guy.
:eek: :eek: :eek: I am actually agreeing with you on something

[turbostud]

www.yahoo.com (http://)

Now the guy is going to give the kid the ball.

[turbostud]

The Texas baseball fan who prompted a public outcry when he knocked aside a 4-year-old to get a foul ball now says he will give the ball to the youngster.


AP Photo



Matt Starr has also agreed to send a letter of apology to the family of Nick O'Brien and buy his family tickets to future Texas Rangers (news) games, club official John Blake said Wednesday.


"The fan let it be known to us that he wanted to give the ball back, and we informed the family that it indeed is going to happen," said Blake, Rangers senior vice president.


Club spokesman Gregg Elkin said the Rangers did not orchestrate Starr's decision.


"He did this on his own, through an intermediary," Elkin said. "Someone that knows him said, 'Hey, he wants to do this, can you help him get it to the O'Briens?' and that's all we're doing."


No one answered the telephone at Starr's home on Wednesday evening, and he has not publicly responded to the criticism. The Dallas Morning News identified him as a married, 28-year-old landscaper and former youth minister.


Starr is "not the bad guy he's been made out to be," Rick DuBose, senior pastor of the Sachse Assembly of God Church, told the newspaper. "He probably got a little aggressive and did something he regrets. But that's not Matt. He's a good kid, a good young man."


Even before Starr's apparent change of heart over the ball, Nick had been getting a windfall worthy of a game-winning home run hitter.


Starr, who was sitting behind Nick at a Texas Rangers baseball game Sunday, knocked the boy against the seats as he dived to get the foul ball. Fans started chanting "Give him the ball!" but he wouldn't give it up.


"I couldn't believe someone would do something like that to a 4-year-old boy," said Nick's mother, Edie O'Brien.


O'Brien said she swatted the man with a cardboard fan and called him a jerk, among other names. "I said, 'You trampled a 4-year-old boy to get this ball,' and he said, 'Oh, well,'" she told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, adding that the man seemed proud he got the ball.


Video shows Nick was standing up as the man dived across the boy's seat to grab the ball at Nick's feet. Starr's leg strikes the boy, and the boy is jostled a second time as the man stands up with the ball and appears to exchange words with the mother.


Nick wasn't hurt, but fan outrage mushroomed, and even Rangers announcer Tom Grieve voiced his disapproval on television, calling Starr "the biggest jerk in this park." The man and a woman with him left before the game was over.


Meanwhile, the Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals (news) quickly made sure Nick got souvenirs of his own — two bats and four baseballs, including one signed by Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, a former Ranger.


Cardinals outfielder Reggie Sanders came out between innings to give Nick a bat and ball. "In my heart, I thought I should do something," said Sanders. "It's all about the kids."


On "Good Morning America," host Charles Gibson gave the O'Briens more souvenirs Wednesday — this time from the New York Mets (news). The family got tickets to Wednesday night's game against the Cleveland Indians (news).


"Wow," Nick said.

[espn1]

Originally posted by turbostud
www.yahoo.com (http://)

Now the guy is going to give the kid the ball.
He's just doing it to cover his @$$. His true colors have already been revealed.

[Ranger Mom]

I don't condone what the man did, but on the news broadcast I watched, they made it sound like the kid was going for the ball and the man dove in front of him and got it.

From what I saw, that little boy never even knew the ball was coming! He didn't have a glove on that I could see, and he didn't look like he was trying to get it.

In the whole sceme of things, I KNOW I have done worse and then in hindsight thought, "I didn't handle that right - at all"!

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by BIG BLUE DEFENSIVE END
I think they're mad about the fact that he did that to the kid just to get the ball, and then didn't give it to him. He's a lousy human being if you ask me...taking a ball from a kid. The kid wasn't even going for the ball. The media is tearing this guy apart. The kid couldn't have cared less. Now he gets all this free stuff. It's really a big joke.:rolleyes:

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by Sans Couth
I think the media is blowing it out of proportion as well. Yes the guy bumped into the kid, but it did not look like it was on purpose to me. Sure he made a bad judgement call by not giving the kid the ball, after the fans started chanting for him to do so. But to call him a "Lousy Human Being" is not a very nice thing to do. The media is turning this guy into some sort of child molestor, and he is getting much more flak than he deserves. I personally, have seen much worse behavior by some of the guys that play the game. This poor guy is gonna end up getting hurt, because some other "genuine asshole" will end up punching this guy out in the "name of justice."

If anyone deserves a black eye over this thing, it is all of the sportscasters lined up to stone this guy. DITTO!!!

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by espn1
He's just doing it to cover his @$$. His true colors have already been revealed. Yes, he made a bad call by not giving the ball to the kid, but the kid wasn't even aware of what was going on. Did you know that this guy is a youth minister who has gone on several mission trips to give food and clothing to needy children? I think we all need to reserve judgement because we know nothing about this guy other than he made "ONE" error in judgement.

[BrahmaMom]

Too bad the heat caught up to him and not a conscience! We saw it and this has NOT been blown out of proportion. My 11 year old son was appalled! Where is that man's MOM??? She isn't very happy right about now, I can tell you that! I'm glad he's doing the right thing, but in the heat of the moment, the guy knocked a little boy around, then refused to give the kid the ball when it was suggested. Not being too judgmental, but I'm glad he's doing the right thing now.

[BullFrog Dad]

Originally posted by turbostud
The Texas baseball fan who prompted a public outcry when he knocked aside a 4-year-old to get a foul ball now says he will give the ball to the youngster.


AP Photo



Matt Starr has also agreed to send a letter of apology to the family of Nick O'Brien and buy his family tickets to future Texas Rangers (news) games, club official John Blake said Wednesday.


"The fan let it be known to us that he wanted to give the ball back, and we informed the family that it indeed is going to happen," said Blake, Rangers senior vice president.


Club spokesman Gregg Elkin said the Rangers did not orchestrate Starr's decision.


"He did this on his own, through an intermediary," Elkin said. "Someone that knows him said, 'Hey, he wants to do this, can you help him get it to the O'Briens?' and that's all we're doing."


No one answered the telephone at Starr's home on Wednesday evening, and he has not publicly responded to the criticism. The Dallas Morning News identified him as a married, 28-year-old landscaper and former youth minister.


Starr is "not the bad guy he's been made out to be," Rick DuBose, senior pastor of the Sachse Assembly of God Church, told the newspaper. "He probably got a little aggressive and did something he regrets. But that's not Matt. He's a good kid, a good young man."


Even before Starr's apparent change of heart over the ball, Nick had been getting a windfall worthy of a game-winning home run hitter.


Starr, who was sitting behind Nick at a Texas Rangers baseball game Sunday, knocked the boy against the seats as he dived to get the foul ball. Fans started chanting "Give him the ball!" but he wouldn't give it up.


"I couldn't believe someone would do something like that to a 4-year-old boy," said Nick's mother, Edie O'Brien.


O'Brien said she swatted the man with a cardboard fan and called him a jerk, among other names. "I said, 'You trampled a 4-year-old boy to get this ball,' and he said, 'Oh, well,'" she told ABC's "Good Morning America" on Wednesday, adding that the man seemed proud he got the ball.


Video shows Nick was standing up as the man dived across the boy's seat to grab the ball at Nick's feet. Starr's leg strikes the boy, and the boy is jostled a second time as the man stands up with the ball and appears to exchange words with the mother.


Nick wasn't hurt, but fan outrage mushroomed, and even Rangers announcer Tom Grieve voiced his disapproval on television, calling Starr "the biggest jerk in this park." The man and a woman with him left before the game was over.


Meanwhile, the Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals (news) quickly made sure Nick got souvenirs of his own — two bats and four baseballs, including one signed by Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, a former Ranger.


Cardinals outfielder Reggie Sanders came out between innings to give Nick a bat and ball. "In my heart, I thought I should do something," said Sanders. "It's all about the kids."


On "Good Morning America," host Charles Gibson gave the O'Briens more souvenirs Wednesday — this time from the New York Mets (news). The family got tickets to Wednesday night's game against the Cleveland Indians (news).


"Wow," Nick said. This Saturday @ 631 Cooper St. in Arlington, "The Grand Opening" of Nick's Sports Collectables and Memorabilia

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by BrahmaMom
Too bad the heat caught up to him and not a conscience! We saw it and this has NOT been blown out of proportion. My 11 year old son was appalled! Where is that man's MOM??? She isn't very happy right about now, I can tell you that! I'm glad he's doing the right thing, but in the heat of the moment, the guy knocked a little boy around, then refused to give the kid the ball when it was suggested. Not being too judgmental, but I'm glad he's doing the right thing now. We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. From what I saw, he dove for the ball, his leg pushed the kid into the seat in front of him, and that was the end of it. Sorry, but I think it's being blown WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY out of proportion.

[Ranger Mom]

I gotta go with you on this one JD94!!

I am sure if it had been my kid, I would have been just as upset....but as it has been said, the little kid was clueless to what was going on, he got a little jostled, but it's not like he was hurt.

The kid didn't look upset to me that he didn't get the ball. He just looked "bewildered"!

Yes, the man should have given the boy the ball, but all the media time given to this is ridiculous.

Franky I am more worried about the man on the street corner who sells kids drugs!

[slpybear the bullfan]

1.) Been to the ballpark many times... I have seen fights breakout over the balls. When a foul comes down people sometimes throw good sense out of the window. This is just an incident that got brought to the spotlight because Tom Grieve talked it up from the booth.

2.) I have watched the clip too. The man jumped between the boy and his mother. The boy was probably three or four seat away from his mother at the time and had zero clue what was happening. As the man jumped over between them going for the ball, his legs pushed the boy about a foot and he struggled with teh mom at her feet for the ball. (Not cool, but pretty common... see #1 above). The man was bigger and got the ball... she didn't. The man got MUCH too aggressive going for the ball. The lady got MUCH upset because she didn't get the ball. Afterwards, the guy made an a$$ out of himself for showing off the ball while getting booed.

Was this a bad thing the man did? Yeah, but it is pretty common. Was this story blown out of proportion? You better believe it.

IMHO, if this is one of the biggest stories on the news today, we have life pretty good in America.

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by slpybear the bullfan
IMHO, if this is one of the biggest stories on the news today, we have life pretty good in America. You said a mouthful with that statement.;)