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Opinion: The Dodgers Fan Who Refused to Give His Foul Ball to a Little Kid Did the Right Thing

By Matt Schultz

Published: Oct 8th, 2026 · 2:26 PM EDT

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This story about a Dodgers fan refusing to give a foul ball he caught to a little kid is going pretty viral, and I feel strongly enough about it to weigh in. Here’s the original video:

@the_hammyshow

“I’m not giving it to the kid”… What a classless Dodger moment 😬 #MLBPostseason #OctoberBaseball #BravesCountry #DodgersSuck #Atlanta

♬ original sound – Hammy Show

Naturally, the Dodgers fan got ripped for this online, leading him to respond with a post of his own providing some context on his decision:

I caught my first foul ball at 31 years old and a parent sent their kid back 10 rows to ask me for it. I straight up said no I’ve been waiting for this my whole life. https://t.co/uaNf78aEuh

— Vito Calise (@Vitocalise) October 7, 2026

This is a no-brainer for me. I stand with this Dodgers fan. He did the right thing. Here’s why:

Reasons the Dodgers Fan Was in the Right For Not Giving Up the Foul Ball

• He caught the ball.
• It belongs to him now.
• He’s a Dodgers fan.
• A Dodgers player hit the ball to him.
• This is a meaningful moment to a 31-year-old — i.e., someone who’s old enough to understand and appreciate just how rare it was — and the ball is a representation of that moment.
• This moment means nothing to a little kid.
• This kid looks to be about two years old.
• Two-year-olds don’t know what a foul ball is.
• They don’t know what “rare” means.
• They don’t know what team they’re rooting for.
• They don’t know what rooting is.
• They don’t know what a baseball is.
• They don’t know where they are.
• They also do not care.
• The kid would not know the difference between being handed that baseball and being handed a stack of stadium napkins.
• Or a cardboard cup holder.
• Or being shown a GIF of a baseball.
• If the kid were given/shown any of the above and the surrounding adults cheered like it was a big deal, the kid would be happy.
• The adult, on the other hand, would likely not care about a baseball GIF.
• The kid also wouldn’t even know what to do with the baseball if he got it.
• He can’t throw.
• He can’t catch.
• He doesn’t have an office that he takes Zoom calls in for work, where he can put the ball on a shelf of books and framed photos and meaningful knick-knacks from his life.
• The kid wouldn’t know where to begin on a Zoom call.
• Why are adults expected to give foul balls to children anyway?
• What’s the reason?
• Because kids like baseball?
• Kids like money too.
• Should we hand over our wallets?
• How about our food?
• The hats on our heads?
• Our shiny car keys?
• Our phones?
• When a kid in a stroller happily says “puppy” while we walk our dogs, should we put the leash in their tiny hand, wish them luck, and be on our way?
• I don’t believe the kid even wanted the ball in the first place.
• It sounds like the parents wanted the ball, and they sent their young child to do their bidding.
• The kid was a tool for manipulation.
• I’m not even knocking the parents for this.
• It was a worthy attempt to steal an innocent man’s baseball.
• But your bluff was called.
• The Dodgers fan was strong enough to say no to your toddler.
• Take your L and move on.
• Give the kid some peanut shells and clap and say “You did it” and “Good job” and he’ll be fine.

Kinkead: Why does anybody care this much about a baseball anyway? This dude didn’t catch a World Series walk-off home run ball. He caught a routine foul ball. He’s not obligated to give it to the kid, but what’s he gonna do with it? Take it home and put it in a glass case and display it on his mantle?