A grown man who snatched a home run ball from an 11-year-old girl at a Cleveland Guardians game has conceded it was a 'bad decision' after facing intense online backlash. Max Quinn was caught on live television wrestling the ball from the young girl, named Evelyn, during the match against the Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field on Monday.
Quinn told local station WJW: 'I'm so 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.' The viral video, captured by the live broadcast, showed both Quinn and the girl rushing for the ball hit by the Guardians' Daniel Schneeman. The ball landed near Evelyn, but Quinn swooped in and snatched it away, raising it over his head.
A local business owner, Quinn said he 'didn't know it was a little girl' and had no malicious intent. However, footage later showed the girl becoming emotional after a NewsNation reporter intervened to give her another baseball. Evelyn's brother approached Quinn to ask for the ball but was refused. Quinn later realised that was 'a big mistake' and returned the ball to Evelyn several innings later.
The 11-year-old told WJW she forgives him, and her mother said the family is ready to move on. Despite the return, the damage from the viral footage was done. Social media users identified Quinn as the owner of Uncover Vintage in nearby Lakewood, and the store's Google page was flooded with one-star reviews, though most appeared to have been taken down by Thursday.
Quinn described the Internet as 'a very mean, scary place' and said he hopes the community can forgive him and give him a second chance. Evelyn and her family have also urged social media users to stop harassing Quinn, with Evelyn saying in a pre-recorded message: 'Thanks for giving us the ball back. We forgive you... We hope they forgive you.'
