A ball player with class

[gridlore]

Sanders sends 'em home happy

ARLINGTON -- Reggie Sanders did not play Sunday for the Cardinals, but for many of the 41,087 in attendance at Ameriquest Field, he was the hero of the day.

In the third inning, Gary Matthews Jr. of the Rangers fouled a ball into the seats and a burly man leaped over a row, knocking over a 4-year-old boy with his legs, and grabbed the baseball.

The incident was caught on television cameras and the fans began to chant for the man to give the boy the ball, but he refused. Sanders saw what had occurred on a television in the clubhouse. In between innings, Sanders came out and summoned the boy and his mother to near the Cardinals' dugout and gave him a bat and ball as the crowd cheered.

Now that's cool.

Comments

[arib.livejournal.com]

mentschkeit, definitely.

[valkyrwench.livejournal.com]

Apparently, the kid left the game with a bat and several balls, at least two of which were signed, one by Nolan Ryan. There's also a rumor circulation locally that the idiot was followed back to his vehicle by several people and at least verbally bitch-slapped for what he did.

[aurictech.livejournal.com]

Makes me proud to be a Redbirds fan. (As if I needed any more reasons for Cardinal Pride.... ;-)

I also liked the dig by Cardinals' reliever Steve Kline:

Cards reliever Steve Kline also witnessed the incident on television and sent the man over a gift, a Cardinals shirt, which he signed, "tough guy and ball stealer."

[drewkitty.livejournal.com]

I love stadium surveillance camera capabilities . . . purr purr . . . but I think it speaks well for civilization that the jerk was allowed to leave the stadium alive and relatively unmolested.