It all started with what should have been a simple birthday celebration at a Philadelphia Phillies game.
Drew Feltwell had gone to see the Miami Marlins play, bringing along his 10-year-old son Lincoln to celebrate his birthday.
But instead of just enjoying the game, the family found themselves at the center of an internet storm thanks to a now-infamous incident involving a woman who has been dubbed the “Phillies Karen.”
The Viral Home Run Ball Showdown
During the game, Lincoln caught a home run ball, which his dad picked up on his behalf.
That’s when the confrontation began.
The woman demanded the ball, loudly insisting it was hers, even as fans around them booed her.
Quick-thinking fans captured the entire interaction on camera, and at one point, she was even seen flipping the bird.
Under pressure, Drew handed the ball over—but the moment quickly exploded on social media.
Internet Sleuths Go on the Hunt
After the video went viral, online investigators went into overdrive trying to uncover the woman’s identity.
Two women have already had to publicly deny being the “Phillies Karen,” as the internet frenzy intensified.
Some even threatened extreme measures to retrieve the ball from her.
But Drew Feltwell is pleading for calm. Speaking to USA Today, he said, “Please don’t do anything to that lady.
Leave it alone. Someone who knows her can talk to her, that’s different.
But I don’t want people breaking into her house or anything like that. The internet already messed her up pretty good.”
Lincoln’s Birthday Spoiled but Rebound in Sight
Understandably, Lincoln was disappointed at being forced to give up his special catch.
He told 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.”
Thankfully, the day wasn’t a total loss.
After the game, Lincoln got to meet Harrison Bader, the Phillies player who hit the home run, and Bader gave him a bat to make up for the ball.
Lincoln said, “I’m happy I got to get something else. It was very, very fun getting to meet Bader.”
Drew Feltwell’s Perspective: Staying Calm Under Pressure
Drew explained that his priority was teaching his son how to handle a tense situation with grace.
“Just trying to set an example of how to de-escalate a situation in front of my son, I guess,” he told NBC 10.
While he acknowledged that the woman “brought that on herself,” he stressed that he doesn’t want her life ruined by the viral attention.
Attending the game with his wife and daughter, Drew said he was still “in disbelief” at her behavior and even apologized to Lincoln for handing the ball over.
“I thought I had accomplished this great thing,” he said. “But she just wouldn’t stop.”
A $5,000 Incentive to Return the Ball
The saga isn’t over yet.
Blowout Cards, a major trading card retailer, offered the “Phillies Karen” $5,000 if she returns the ball.
But there’s a catch: the ball must be signed and inscribed by her with a simple apology.
The retailer’s statement read, “We want that ball signed and inscribed by her—and only her, whoever she is—‘I’m sorry’ so we can simply give it back to the kid. Our offer is official and the offer is firm.”
The internet continues to speculate about her identity, but for now, Drew and Lincoln just want the ordeal to end—and to enjoy the memory of a birthday that, while chaotic, still included a little baseball magic.