The dad caught in the middle of a viral confrontation at a Philadelphia Phillies game has shared his side of the story.
Drew Feltwell attended Saturday’s clash against the Miami Marlins with his family, celebrating his son Lincoln’s tenth birthday, when Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader hit a home run into the stands at LoanDepot Park.
Feltwell managed to secure the ball as a gift for his son — but the moment quickly soured.
A woman, now widely referred to online as the “Phillies Karen,” confronted the family, insisting the ball was hers.
Speaking to Fox Sports on Monday, Feltwell recalled what happened: "I can’t even repeat that on air. She was very vulgar. Screaming right in my ear that, you know, lotta bad words and, ‘That’s my ball.’
"That was her section and trying to tell me she had the right to that ball.
"The screaming and yelling kinda got to us and I just wanted her to go away. So, that’s how she got the ball."
The clash, caught live on NBC Sports Philadelphia cameras, spread quickly online and even reached ESPN’s SportsCenter. Clips showed the woman not only shouting at Feltwell but later flipping off nearby fans.
Feltwell admitted it was a tough decision to hand over the souvenir: "It was tough giving the ball back but it ended that situation. I hope that ball meant a lot to her."
Despite the heated exchange, the evening ended on a positive note for the Feltwell family. After the game, Lincoln was invited to meet Bader, who gifted him a bat — turning the birthday into a memory for all the right reasons.
"Well, I’d love to get the ball to give back to my son," Feltwell said. "But I don’t want anything bad to happen to her. Our evening worked out quite well afterward."
By contrast, the unidentified woman was booed out of the stadium.
On the field, the Phillies took the first two games of the series against Miami — winning 9-3 and 4-2 — before the Marlins edged the third game 5-4.
For the Feltwells, though, the birthday celebration ended with more than just a baseball.