Fan Caught Snatching Home Run Ball From Young Girl Issues Apology

Earlier this week, Cleveland Guardians fan Max Quinn angered the sports world by grabbing a home run ball from a young girl in a Guardians-Rays game. But after giving the ball back and still not finding forgiveness, he's owning up to what he did on television.

Appearing on FOX 8 in Cleveland, Quinn apologized for his poor decision-making and admitted it was a "heat-of-the-moment" thing that turned out to be a very poor decision.

"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," Quinn said.

The Incident

Guardians slugger Daniel Schneemann hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning that 11-year-old Evelyn tried to get after the ball got away from Quinn. In a moment that earned immediate scorn from the broadcast, Quinn snatched the ball from the little girl.

Ultimately, the girls brother convinced him to give her the ball but not before getting an earful from the fans near him.

"I went back to my seat and I heard it from the fans and the people. … I was sitting there and I'm like, ‘I won't be able to sleep at night if I don't give this ball back," he said.

Unfortunately, things have gotten worse in the days since the incident. His store was review-bombed by angry fans and he said he received death threats on social media.

"It's been a rough 24 hours; 36 hours," Quinn said. "I've also learned the internet is a very mean, scary place. A lot of people have said a lot of really mean things. I've handled it. I've tried to block it out and get away from it, but people find a way to say stuff and try to get in contact with me."

Evelyn sent him a video message thanking him for giving the ball back and expressed hope that he'd be forgiven for what he did.

"I'm just trying to do good by myself and my business," Quinn told FOX 8. "I hope that people in the city and people here in Cleveland and Guardians fans and everybody can forgive me, give me a second chance. … That's all I can ask for."

Fans are a bit mixed on whether to forgive him though. On one hand, many believe that he deserves props for giving the ball back and owning up to his mistake. On the other hand, there's a sense that if it weren't for the social media pressure, he never would have apologized or given the ball back in the first place.

Hopefully this saga will end soon.

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This story was originally published April 29, 2026 at 4:00 PM.