A father whose viral confrontation with an aggressive woman at a baseball match has captured widespread attention is now urging internet detectives to cease their attempts at identifying her.
Drew Feltwell has expressed concerns about potential harm coming to the woman who forced him to surrender a home run ball he'd caught for his 10-year-old son Lincoln during his birthday celebration.
The incident occurred during a Miami Marlins versus Philadelphia Phillies match on Friday evening, with multiple spectators recording the heated exchange. Despite extensive footage circulating online and several women being wrongly identified, the actual person remains unknown.
Feltwell told USA Today: "Please don't do anything to that lady. Leave it alone."
The woman was seen shouting at Drew Feltwell after he grabbed the home run ball
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The confrontation unfolded when the woman shouted "That was ours" at Feltwell, who ultimately surrendered the ball to avoid further escalation. Video footage captured her raising her middle finger at surrounding spectators who booed her behaviour.
Lincoln expressed his disappointment to NBC 10 Philadelphia: "I wasn't very happy that we had to give it to her, but we can't win. She was going to get it anyways."
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The youngster's spirits were lifted when Harrison Bader, the Phillies player responsible for the home run, presented him with a bat following the match.
"I'm happy I got to get something else. It was very, very fun getting to meet Bader," Lincoln said.
Feltwell remains adamant that he doesn't wish to see the woman's life destroyed, despite her aggressive behaviour.
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The woman has been branded as "Phillies Karen"
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"I don't want her life ruined but she brought that on," he stated, acknowledging that whilst she must face consequences, he hopes no physical harm comes to her.
He revealed that some online users had threatened extreme actions, including breaking into homes to recover the ball.
"God, I don't want people breaking in their house and stuff like that. The internet already messed her up pretty good," Feltwell explained.
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When reflecting on the encounter, he described his primary motivation: "Just trying to set an example of how to de-escalate a situation in front of my son, I guess."
A prominent trading card company has entered the controversy with a substantial financial incentive.
Drew Feltwell has urged fans to leave the woman alone
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Blowout Cards announced on Tuesday that they would pay the woman $5,000 to return the baseball, but with a specific requirement attached.
The company stipulated that the ball must be signed and inscribed by the woman herself with the words "I'm sorry" before they would hand it back to Lincoln.
"Our offer is official and the offer is firm," the retailer stated.