Article about Ryan Howard's 200th HR ball
thunderdan
Posts: 3,036 ✭✭✭
Nice to see that the Phillies did the right thing, albeit only after being sued. Doesn't reflect well on the Phillies organization that they convinced a young fan to give them Howard's 200th HR ball supposedly in exchange for a meeting/auto with Howard (which never happened). Instead, cotton candy and soda. Classy!
By Wayne Drash
CNN
(CNN) -- Jennifer Valdivia scooped up the baseball after it sailed into the right-field stands. The 12-year-old smiled and giggled over the keepsake from her first Major League ballgame.
Jennifer Valdivia, 12, holds the record-setting baseball after it was returned this week to her.
She'd have to sue to get the ball back.
This is the story of a baseball and the big leagues, of a young girl, a slugger and a lawsuit. It's about another stain on America's pastime -- commercialism colliding with a kid's innocent joy.
Jennifer's big catch was the 200th home run for Ryan Howard, an All-Star for the Philadelphia Phillies. The 29-year-old first baseman achieved the milestone faster than any player in Major League history, in his 658th career game, 48 fewer games than the previous record.
The ballclub wanted to give the ball to its star player. And that's where things got complicated. Video Watch Jennifer smile as ball is returned »
It was mid-July. The Phillies squared off against the Florida Marlins at Land Shark Stadium near Miami.
Jennifer was in the stands with her 69-year-old grandfather, her 17-year-old brother and one of his friends. Howard launched his history-making homer in the sixth inning, a solo shot to right field.
The sixth-grader beat her older brother to the ball. Nearby, fans said they couldn't believe a girl came away with the prize.
"I was rubbing it in my brother's face," Jennifer later recalled. He'd been to many games before, but had never caught a homer ball. "I got a ball and you didn't," she teased.
Switcheroo leaves mom steaming
Excitedly, Jennifer called her mom on the phone. "Mom, I got the ball!"
Moments later, the Marlins sent a team representative to the stands. Jennifer and her brother, Gian Carlos, were escorted to the Phillies' clubhouse. Their grandfather, a Cuban immigrant who doesn't speak English, stayed in his seat.
A Phillies employee, Jennifer says, told her if she handed over the ball, she could come back after the game, meet the slugger and get him to autograph it. She gave the ball up. In exchange, she got cotton candy and a soda.
Jennifer went back to her seat but returned to the clubhouse after the game -- this time, with her grandfather and the rest of her party. They waited. The Phillies slugger never showed up.
A security guard walked up and gave Jennifer a ball autographed by Howard. But it wasn't the one she caught.
This ball was clean and polished. Jennifer calls it "the fake one."
"I was, like, really sad."
Howard told reporters after the game that he was proud of his feat. He eclipsed Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner, who played on three teams from 1946 to 1955. Kiner's record had stood for more than a half-century.
"It's a nice record to have," Howard said. "I'll take it and run with it."
When Jennifer's mother, Delfa Vanegas, got wind of what happened, she wasn't happy. She grilled her daughter about giving up the prized possession.
"What do you want me to do, Mom?" Jennifer said. "They were asking for the ball."
Vanegas' motherly instinct kicked in. She felt her daughter had been duped, robbed of something potentially worth thousands of dollars.
"It's my daughter," the steamed mom says. "It's my blood."
She contacted the Phillies and asked for the ball. In baseball parlance, the Phillies balked. But the team did offer to give the family VIP tickets the next time they played in Florida.
"I don't want tickets," Vanegas replied. "I want the ball back."
Entering the batter's box: attorney Norm Kent. He first approached the Phillies in July with his simple demand: Give the girl her ball.
Letting fans keep the home-run balls they catch is a time-honored tradition. It's a way for ordinary fans to connect with the superstars -- and to cash in on the catch if history has been made.
When Salvatore Durante snagged Roger Maris' 61st home-run ball -- the one that broke Babe Ruth's single season home-run record in 1961 -- his life changed forever.
Durante offered to give it to Maris, but the Yankees slugger declined. "He said: 'Keep the baseball and try to make some money with it,'" Durante once told the Baltimore Sun. He sold it for $5,000 -- what amounted to a year-and-a-half's salary for Durante. See where historic baseballs are now
Howard's ball is small potatoes in the world of sports memorabilia, maybe worth a couple thousand bucks on the open market. But it's hugely sentimental to the player -- and to the girl who caught it at her first ballgame.
So, Kent's efforts to get the ball back for his young client met with resistance.
There was no way of knowing "with any degree of certainty whether the ball delivered was in fact the home-run ball," Phillies attorney William Webb wrote in a brush-back letter dated August 6.
If the girl wants the baseball, Webb continued, contact Howard's agent, "since the player now has the ball."
By Monday of this week, with the regular season over and no ball in hand, Kent took the extraordinary measure of suing on behalf of Jennifer. He sought the ball and a judgment "in excess of $15,000."
The ball was promptly returned.
"Ryan Howard 200th career home run," it says in capital letters across the ball, now encased.
"My ball," Jennifer says with a smile.
The Phillies, in the middle of a pitched playoff battle, have declined comment on the ball brouhaha. Howard's agent, Terry Prince, told CNN affiliate WSVN: "He's willing to give the ball back to her without any strings attached. Free of charge."
As part of the settlement, Kent said Howard and the Phillies agreed to pay his attorney fee, about $1,000.
Jennifer has no plans to sell. She keeps the ball in her room, hidden near her bunk so friends can't take it.
"When I grow up and everything, I'm going to show it to my kids," said Jennifer, who wants to be a pediatrician. "Then, they're going to tell their kids, and their kids are going to tell their other kids."
Her message to ballclubs and millionaire players?
The next time a child catches a home-run ball, let the kid keep it.
Or, if you're going to take it away, at least ask a parent first.
By Wayne Drash
CNN
(CNN) -- Jennifer Valdivia scooped up the baseball after it sailed into the right-field stands. The 12-year-old smiled and giggled over the keepsake from her first Major League ballgame.
Jennifer Valdivia, 12, holds the record-setting baseball after it was returned this week to her.
She'd have to sue to get the ball back.
This is the story of a baseball and the big leagues, of a young girl, a slugger and a lawsuit. It's about another stain on America's pastime -- commercialism colliding with a kid's innocent joy.
Jennifer's big catch was the 200th home run for Ryan Howard, an All-Star for the Philadelphia Phillies. The 29-year-old first baseman achieved the milestone faster than any player in Major League history, in his 658th career game, 48 fewer games than the previous record.
The ballclub wanted to give the ball to its star player. And that's where things got complicated. Video Watch Jennifer smile as ball is returned »
It was mid-July. The Phillies squared off against the Florida Marlins at Land Shark Stadium near Miami.
Jennifer was in the stands with her 69-year-old grandfather, her 17-year-old brother and one of his friends. Howard launched his history-making homer in the sixth inning, a solo shot to right field.
The sixth-grader beat her older brother to the ball. Nearby, fans said they couldn't believe a girl came away with the prize.
"I was rubbing it in my brother's face," Jennifer later recalled. He'd been to many games before, but had never caught a homer ball. "I got a ball and you didn't," she teased.
Switcheroo leaves mom steaming
Excitedly, Jennifer called her mom on the phone. "Mom, I got the ball!"
Moments later, the Marlins sent a team representative to the stands. Jennifer and her brother, Gian Carlos, were escorted to the Phillies' clubhouse. Their grandfather, a Cuban immigrant who doesn't speak English, stayed in his seat.
A Phillies employee, Jennifer says, told her if she handed over the ball, she could come back after the game, meet the slugger and get him to autograph it. She gave the ball up. In exchange, she got cotton candy and a soda.
Jennifer went back to her seat but returned to the clubhouse after the game -- this time, with her grandfather and the rest of her party. They waited. The Phillies slugger never showed up.
A security guard walked up and gave Jennifer a ball autographed by Howard. But it wasn't the one she caught.
This ball was clean and polished. Jennifer calls it "the fake one."
"I was, like, really sad."
Howard told reporters after the game that he was proud of his feat. He eclipsed Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner, who played on three teams from 1946 to 1955. Kiner's record had stood for more than a half-century.
"It's a nice record to have," Howard said. "I'll take it and run with it."
When Jennifer's mother, Delfa Vanegas, got wind of what happened, she wasn't happy. She grilled her daughter about giving up the prized possession.
"What do you want me to do, Mom?" Jennifer said. "They were asking for the ball."
Vanegas' motherly instinct kicked in. She felt her daughter had been duped, robbed of something potentially worth thousands of dollars.
"It's my daughter," the steamed mom says. "It's my blood."
She contacted the Phillies and asked for the ball. In baseball parlance, the Phillies balked. But the team did offer to give the family VIP tickets the next time they played in Florida.
"I don't want tickets," Vanegas replied. "I want the ball back."
Entering the batter's box: attorney Norm Kent. He first approached the Phillies in July with his simple demand: Give the girl her ball.
Letting fans keep the home-run balls they catch is a time-honored tradition. It's a way for ordinary fans to connect with the superstars -- and to cash in on the catch if history has been made.
When Salvatore Durante snagged Roger Maris' 61st home-run ball -- the one that broke Babe Ruth's single season home-run record in 1961 -- his life changed forever.
Durante offered to give it to Maris, but the Yankees slugger declined. "He said: 'Keep the baseball and try to make some money with it,'" Durante once told the Baltimore Sun. He sold it for $5,000 -- what amounted to a year-and-a-half's salary for Durante. See where historic baseballs are now
Howard's ball is small potatoes in the world of sports memorabilia, maybe worth a couple thousand bucks on the open market. But it's hugely sentimental to the player -- and to the girl who caught it at her first ballgame.
So, Kent's efforts to get the ball back for his young client met with resistance.
There was no way of knowing "with any degree of certainty whether the ball delivered was in fact the home-run ball," Phillies attorney William Webb wrote in a brush-back letter dated August 6.
If the girl wants the baseball, Webb continued, contact Howard's agent, "since the player now has the ball."
By Monday of this week, with the regular season over and no ball in hand, Kent took the extraordinary measure of suing on behalf of Jennifer. He sought the ball and a judgment "in excess of $15,000."
The ball was promptly returned.
"Ryan Howard 200th career home run," it says in capital letters across the ball, now encased.
"My ball," Jennifer says with a smile.
The Phillies, in the middle of a pitched playoff battle, have declined comment on the ball brouhaha. Howard's agent, Terry Prince, told CNN affiliate WSVN: "He's willing to give the ball back to her without any strings attached. Free of charge."
As part of the settlement, Kent said Howard and the Phillies agreed to pay his attorney fee, about $1,000.
Jennifer has no plans to sell. She keeps the ball in her room, hidden near her bunk so friends can't take it.
"When I grow up and everything, I'm going to show it to my kids," said Jennifer, who wants to be a pediatrician. "Then, they're going to tell their kids, and their kids are going to tell their other kids."
Her message to ballclubs and millionaire players?
The next time a child catches a home-run ball, let the kid keep it.
Or, if you're going to take it away, at least ask a parent first.
0
Comments
The next time a child catches a home-run ball, let the kid keep it.
Or, if you're going to take it away, at least ask a parent first. >>>
No, the message should be if ya want the ball bad enough, then pay for it like any other buyer would have to.
I also know that people that have the right to keep foul & home runs balls hit. Would the parents really made a big deal about it if was Howards 222 home run. NO! Again they saw $$$$$$. Its a shame that someone does something great in there profession but then has to pay someone to keep the memory.
Also what proof they got the right ball back??? None! So they took the Phillies & Howard to court & sued. They won, but what did they really win?? A batting practice ball? I woiuld of at least negotiated for a couple of signed game used items if my only intent was to make $$$.
Just my opinion.
1992 GCL, 93 Stadium Club, 93 Greensboro,, 93 South Atlantic League, 93 Topps Marlins & Rockies,, 94 Classic Tampa, 94 Procards Tampa, 94 Florida State League & 95 Columbus Clippers.
It's disgusting, to think that the kid was basically strongarmed for the ball by the thugs of a selfish jerk. I don't believe for one minute that she got the right ball back. The kind of ignorant jerks that would take it in the first place, from a 12 year old no less, would probably get a laugh out of replacing it with a phony.
<< <i>I totally disagree with giving the ball back to the girl. 1st off the girl doesnt even care about the ball the parents saw $. The girl wouldn't even think about the ball again in a day from catching it. That home run was a historic one. The ball means a lot to Howard. He acheived a mile stone in his career.
I also know that people that have the right to keep foul & home runs balls hit. Would the parents really made a big deal about it if was Howards 222 home run. NO! Again they saw $$$$$$. Its a shame that someone does something great in there profession but then has to pay someone to keep the memory.
Also what proof they got the right ball back??? None! So they took the Phillies & Howard to court & sued. They won, but what did they really win?? A batting practice ball? I woiuld of at least negotiated for a couple of signed game used items if my only intent was to make $$$.
Just my opinion. >>
Agree her mother saw the $$$$, just like the Phillies saw the $$$$ when they lied to a kid to dupe her into giving up the ball hoping she wouldn't understand the value so they wouldn't have to pay for it. As you know, it's a long-time ballpark tradition to let the fans keep the home run ball. The perception of professional sports and professional athletes being greedy is only reinforced by examples like this.
Also, let's not forget who pays the salaries. It's the fans. Sometimes I think ballplayers and teams forget this.
<< <i>I totally disagree with giving the ball back to the girl. 1st off the girl doesnt even care about the ball the parents saw $. The girl wouldn't even think about the ball again in a day from catching it. That home run was a historic one. The ball means a lot to Howard. He acheived a mile stone in his career.
I also know that people that have the right to keep foul & home runs balls hit. Would the parents really made a big deal about it if was Howards 222 home run. NO! Again they saw $$$$$$. Its a shame that someone does something great in there profession but then has to pay someone to keep the memory.
Also what proof they got the right ball back??? None! So they took the Phillies & Howard to court & sued. They won, but what did they really win?? A batting practice ball? I woiuld of at least negotiated for a couple of signed game used items if my only intent was to make $$$.
Just my opinion. >>
Maybe I read this differently, the girl justed wanted the ball back. As soon as the attorney asked for $15,000 she got the ball back. All the asked for was the attorney's fees of $1,000. It sounds like they only asked for the $15,000 to get the ball back, and it worked. Did she get the real ball, maybe, maybe not, but the girls happy, and thats what matters.
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<< <i> Its a shame that someone does something great in there profession but then has to pay someone to keep the memory. >>
"Want to.......remember........hitting......quasi-historic.....homerun. Can't without....paying......little girl. ARGH!!!!"
The memory is free. No one can take that away from him.
"...1st off the girl doesnt even care about the ball the parents saw $...."
//////////////////////
The kid claims she does care about the ball.
The parents' job is to protect the kid's money interests.
They acted correctly in seeking legal help to reverse the
deplorable actions of thugs in service to a filth ridden
enterprise.
......
For cowardly thugs, ripping kids and non-English speaking
fans is easy. I wish some of them would try pulling that
carp on me.
<< <i>It's disgusting, to think that the kid was basically strongarmed for the ball by the thugs of a selfish jerk. I don't believe for one minute that she got the right ball back. The kind of ignorant jerks that would take it in the first place, from a 12 year old no less, would probably get a laugh out of replacing it with a phony. >>
Not sure why you are calling Howard a selfish Jerk. He is one of the classier players in the game. Don't forget this all went down when he was playing. Kind of tough for a player to orchestrate the stealing of a ball while playing the game.
Probably a team representative who went too far and made promises without the consent of Howard.
Now whether she actually received back the true 200 HR ball is a completely different story.
The only "blame" the players really bear in these
controversies is that they have apparently failed
to tell the MLB and their teams:
"KNOCK this carp off."
............
Fans that retrieve balls should be given a written
packet of the "possible benefits of trading" their
prize.
After the fan reviews the written doc, he can decide -
with competent counsel - if a potential trade is in HIS
interest.
Enough thuggery. This is the third recent high-profile
incident. It makes EVERYBODY involved subject to
derision. It's not "fair" to the players/fans, and it is
BAD for MLB.
<< <i>Not sure why you are calling Howard a selfish Jerk. He is one of the classier players in the game. Don't forget this all went down when he was playing. Kind of tough for a player to orchestrate the stealing of a ball while playing the game. >>
Don't forget that he wouldn't meet with the rightful owner, a little 12 year old girl, or give the ball back willingly.
To pretend he didn't send his cronnies up into the grandstands is ridiculous, get real.
They took complete advantage of kids and an unknowing grandfather that couldn't even understand what was happening.
What kind of a person would do this... a selfish jerk. Oh ya, another type of person that would do this is a thief.
<< <i>
<< <i>Not sure why you are calling Howard a selfish Jerk. He is one of the classier players in the game. Don't forget this all went down when he was playing. Kind of tough for a player to orchestrate the stealing of a ball while playing the game. >>
Don't forget that he wouldn't meet with the rightful owner, a little 12 year old girl, or give the ball back willingly.
To pretend he didn't send his cronnies up into the grandstands is ridiculous, get real.
They took complete advantage of kids and an unknowing grandfather that couldn't even understand what was happening.
What kind of a person would do this... a selfish jerk. Oh ya, another type of person that would do this is a thief. >>
If you call a Marlins/Phillies team employee one of his cronies than I guess you are right. Let me get the scenario straight as you are portraying...
1.) Ryan Howard hits a Homer
2.) He celebrates the 200th Homer with his team.
3.) He tells his posse of cronies from the Marlins to go get the ball and broker a deal for other memorbilia.
4.) He decides to back out of the deal and signs an alternate ball.
5.) Oh and he did all of this in less than half an inning before he went back to the field to play defense.
GET REAL!
You have a bone to pick against one of the nicest guys in baseball for some reason who is well grounded and goes out of his way to help the unfortunate through many charity events and dontations.
This is probably simply a case of an overzealous team employee thinking they were doing right and overpromising something from Ryan which may not have even been possible with the team's travel arrangements. That an attorney jumped on the case after the fact for publicity is not even mildly surprising. There could also be a degree of miscommunication involved as well. Typically the visiting team does not sign home run balls for fans who caught the ball. The deal was probably a new signed ball for the home run ball. The story being portrayed may not be the total truth, but instead one the meets the interests of the girl's family.
Where the Marlins/Phillies went wrong is they did not have the girl sign any type of release or possibly had a guardian available, though I would also question the grand father as the guardian onsite allowing a girl of 12 to leave the stands without escort.
Either way I could care less, and like I said before, Howard probably still has the 200 HR ball in his possession as there is not an easy way to track the "real" ball once it left the girl's possession.
In general teams need to come up with a better policy regarding trades for balls hit into the stands. Make a simple offer of an equivalent ball used in the same game signed by the athlete and if the fan does not accept it, move on.
//////////////////////////////////
Thank goodness that the mother had the smarts
to sic the lawyer on the rip-off perps.
MOST lawyers are in the biz to help people. In this
case, the lawyer definitely earned his money.
Kids cannot sign a "release."
The grandfather was likely better equipped to deal
with molesters and kidnappers than he was a gang
of fake-friendly thugs claiming to represent a part
of MLB.
The players need to get a handle on the situation,
if they don't want to be accused of being bad guys.
<< <i>If you call a Marlins/Phillies team employee one of his cronies than I guess you are right. Let me get the scenario straight as you are portraying...
1.) Ryan Howard hits a Homer
2.) He celebrates the 200th Homer with his team.
3.) He tells his posse of cronies from the Marlins to go get the ball and broker a deal for other memorbilia.
4.) He decides to back out of the deal and signs an alternate ball.
5.) Oh and he did all of this in less than half an inning before he went back to the field to play defense.
GET REAL!
You have a bone to pick against one of the nicest guys in baseball for some reason who is well grounded and goes out of his way to help the unfortunate through many charity events and dontations. >>
All he had to do was say "get me that ball", how long did that take? To say that a team employee just decided to do this on his own doesn't make any sense. Ryan knew there was a chance it would happen then and there, and he made preparations for it, for sure.
And then after the fact, he proves he is willing to rip off a little girl by not giving the ball back, or keeping up his end of the deal.
His actions afterwards are enough for me to form my opinion. It was her ball and he was in possesion of her property. In my book, it was stolen property.
The teams story is more of a deflection of bad publicity IMO. Probably written by the same person that covers all his charity donations, and helping of the unfortunate.
He may be the nicest guy in baseball, but just because you're a good guy, doesn't mean you're allowed to do bad things.
Would you have just walked away if it was your daughter that came home from the game with this story?
<< <i>
<< <i>If you call a Marlins/Phillies team employee one of his cronies than I guess you are right. Let me get the scenario straight as you are portraying...
1.) Ryan Howard hits a Homer
2.) He celebrates the 200th Homer with his team.
3.) He tells his posse of cronies from the Marlins to go get the ball and broker a deal for other memorbilia.
4.) He decides to back out of the deal and signs an alternate ball.
5.) Oh and he did all of this in less than half an inning before he went back to the field to play defense.
GET REAL!
You have a bone to pick against one of the nicest guys in baseball for some reason who is well grounded and goes out of his way to help the unfortunate through many charity events and dontations. >>
All he had to do was say "get me that ball", how long did that take? To say that a team employee just decided to do this on his own doesn't make any sense. Ryan knew there was a chance it would happen then and there, and he made preparations for it, for sure.
And then after the fact, he proves he is willing to rip off a little girl by not giving the ball back, or keeping up his end of the deal.
His actions afterwards are enough for me to form my opinion. It was her ball and he was in possesion of her property. In my book, it was stolen property.
The teams story is more of a deflection of bad publicity IMO. Probably written by the same person that covers all his charity donations, and helping of the unfortunate.
He may be the nicest guy in baseball, but just because you're a good guy, doesn't mean you're allowed to do bad things.
Would you have just walked away if it was your daughter that came home from the game with this story? >>
Like I said you have a bone to pick with Ryan Howard for some reason and your entire made up scenario above just adds to it. You seem to miss the part in the story where it was a Marlin's employee asking for the ball. Your scenario makes Ryan Howard look like the Don Corleone of baseball, making an offer she could not refuse. It's actually quite laughable and made my evening.
If it was my daughter I would never have let her go to the game unescorted or leave the stands unescorted with a Marlins employee, but thats just me.
As I said I could care less about the ball, and there is a goof chance the girl still does not have the actual ball that went over the fence, which would actually make Howard a creep. But this is purely speculation just like my post and yours.
"...and there is a good chance the girl still does not have the actual ball that went over the fence, ..."
//////////////////////
None of us can "prove" it one way or another, but I pretty firmly
believe that the ball the kid got back IS the genuine ball.
Doing the switch inside of a legal proceeding would be VERY risky.
More than one person would have to be in on it.
I really doubt anybody would be dumb enough to try it.
<< <i>
Like I said you have a bone to pick with Ryan Howard for some reason and your entire made up scenario above just adds to it. You seem to miss the part in the story where it was a Marlin's employee asking for the ball. Your scenario makes Ryan Howard look like the Don Corleone of baseball, making an offer she could not refuse. It's actually quite laughable and made my evening. >>
You seem to miss the part about he wouldn't give the ball back. They had to take him to court remember? Sorry I didn't spot the nicest guy in baseball in that scenario. A scenario made up by the facts.
<< <i>If it was my daughter I would never have let her go to the game unescorted or leave the stands unescorted with a Marlins employee, but thats just me.
As I said I could care less about the ball, and there is a goof chance the girl still does not have the actual ball that went over the fence, which would actually make Howard a creep. But this is purely speculation just like my post and yours. >>
I knew you weren't going to answer that question.
<< <i>Like I said you have a bone to pick with Ryan Howard for some reason and your entire made up scenario above just adds to it. >>
The only part of my story you can say is made up, is that he wanted that ball. If this wasn't true, he would have gave it back right away. My story has merit.
Your made up story losses any credibility when the jerk won't give the girl her ball back.
<< <i>
<< <i>
Like I said you have a bone to pick with Ryan Howard for some reason and your entire made up scenario above just adds to it. You seem to miss the part in the story where it was a Marlin's employee asking for the ball. Your scenario makes Ryan Howard look like the Don Corleone of baseball, making an offer she could not refuse. It's actually quite laughable and made my evening. >>
You seem to miss the part about he wouldn't give the ball back. They had to take him to court remember? Sorry I didn't spot the nicest guy in baseball in that scenario. A scenario made up by the facts.
<< <i>If it was my daughter I would never have let her go to the game unescorted or leave the stands unescorted with a Marlins employee, but thats just me.
As I said I could care less about the ball, and there is a goof chance the girl still does not have the actual ball that went over the fence, which would actually make Howard a creep. But this is purely speculation just like my post and yours. >>
I knew you weren't going to answer that question. >>
Why so personal and what do you have against Ryan Howard? (Though by your tone and writing I have a good idea)
If my daughter was in the same situation I would commend her for giving up the ball to someone who it means more to than her and use the scenario as a good lesson on true value in actions.
You also need to read the original story as the case was settled out of court. This is standard practice with celebrities who are insulated by representation. Lawyer went to the Phillies who then referred him to Howard's agent who then settled the affair. You are acting like she should have been able to look up Howard in the phone book and made a verbal request.
Yes it was a hassle but there was really no other way to go about the situation in a legit fashion, otherwise any Joe on the street could call up and make demands.
<< <i>Why so personal and what do you have against Ryan Howard? (Though by your tone and writing I have a good idea). >>
Nothing personel other than my own daughter was 12 only three years ago.
Why don't you go ahead and share your thoughts about my tone and writing. Because I seriously doubt you have any good ideas.
"...You also need to read the original story as the case was settled out of court. This is standard practice with celebrities who are insulated by representation. Lawyer went to the Phillies who then referred him to Howard's agent who then settled the affair. ........"
////////////////////////////////////
The lawsuit was filed on Monday morning; the ball was returned later that night.
A judge will sign-off and the settlement docs will be filed by the kid's lawyer.
If it is not sealed, we can see it in a few days.
<< <i>I really hope they gave the girl a different ball. That would make me feel warm inside.
/////////////
If Ryan Howard is as upstanding as some folks say, he would
never tolerate such a fraud.
Hey DrJ, remember way long time ago when I insulted your good ideas... Well I'm really sorry about that, I just haven't had any jellybeans today.
I don't think it's greed on the girls (or her family's) part. If anything it's an uneven trade with a minor, which I think is wrong. If your daughter had a "xyz" that was worth $1000, and some adult man traded her a "abc" that was worth $200, I hope you would do what you had to do to make it right.
The fact that they saw her alone (to me) seems shady.
If money became the factor (which I'm sure it did), Howard can pay without any monetary injury to himself. I'm sure he has had larger bar tabs than this ball is worth.
In the end, it was handled wrong on all sides. But hopefully things have been corrected.
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