A Phillies fan stole a home run ball from a 63-year-old woman
What kind of a man steals a home run ball from a defenseless little old lady? Well, a Philadelphia Phillies fan named Jim Bergen who was called a “dog” by the victim, that’s who.
When Maikel Franco hit his first big-league home run for the Phillies on Sunday, it was headed directly toward Joyce Murphy Kiner, a 63-year-old woman who was seated in the front row in left field. The ball glanced off the glove she was wearing and landed in a flowerbed in front of her. When she reached down to retrieve the ball, Bergen barged over, shoved her aside and stole it from her.
Apparently oblivious to his breach of etiquette, Bergen later bragged about snagging the ball on Facebook, where he was then hammered for his boorish behavior.
Kiner talked about the incident Monday on Philadelphia radio station 97.5 The Fanatic.
“I knew the ball was coming my way,” she said. “My husband handed me his glove when he left his seat. I put my hand out and it hit my glove or was in my glove but the glove is too big for me.
“It fell right in the flowerbed right in front of me. I couldn’t really get up and over the fence without falling in. I had it in my hand and I just tried to get a good grip on it and the guy just ran over, pushed me out of the way, and then took it.
“He body-checked me really. I looked at him and said ‘I can’t believe that you dog’ but he just walked away. You do not do that to a lady. You hand that ball to a lady.”
The Diamondbacks announcers slammed the man, with Bob Brenly saying “The politeness police ought to arrest that man” and Steve Berthiaume adding, “Well, you know, it’s Philly.”
The latter comment was a reference to the city’s infamous reputation for being home to some of sports’ most heartless fans, who once booed Santa Claus and cheered when former Dallas Cowboys receiver Michael Irvin was carted off the field on a stretcher after suffering a career-ending injury.
Fortunately, this story has a happy ending as Kiner was given a Diamondbacks shirt by Fox Sports Arizona during the game and also received a pair of prime tickets to another Phillies game and a pendant from a local jewelry store from The Fanatic.
