The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Miami Marlins 9-3 Friday night, extending their NL East lead as they head into the season’s final stretch. But the game itself isn’t what’s got everyone talking.
A viral incident in the left-field stands at loanDepot Park has taken over social media, and now one of the fans at the center of it all is telling his side of the story.
It started in the fourth inning when Harrison Bader launched a solo shot over the left-field fence, putting the Phillies up 5-1. What happened next turned into a teaching moment that’s been viewed millions of times.
Drew Feltwell, wearing a red Phillies shirt, grabbed the ball and handed it to his son Lincoln. Simple enough, right?
Not quite.
“I’m moving to my right, and I went down to where it was going to land. It went into an empty seat and did a quick bobble and settled. And as it settled, I grabbed it,” Drew told NBC. “When I went to pull away, other hands came in, but I had already turned around and headed towards Lincoln.”
That’s when things got interesting. A woman — dubbed “Phillies Karen” online since her identity remains unknown — walked over and demanded Drew give her the ball after he’d already placed it in Lincoln’s glove.
“I gave Lincoln a hug because I was so happy. And something touched my arm, and then she screamed, ‘That’s my ball.’ I was like, ‘Wow. Why are you here? Who are you?'”
A Phillies fan retrieves a home run ball for his son and this woman is furious she did not get the ball pic.twitter.com/kDMMJrw2R5
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) September 6, 2025
Drew faced a choice. He could dig in and keep the ball for his son, or he could turn the moment into something bigger.
He chose the latter.
“I’m going to go one direction and probably regret it, or go in this direction and do something in front of my kids that’s a teaching moment to de-escalate the situation,” Drew explained. “I even said to them, ‘Look, this lady needs this ball more than we do.’ And Lincoln didn’t resist. I took the ball, gave it to her.”
“The fact that she turned and walked away, I was winning in that moment because I just didn’t want her around my family anymore.”
Lincoln, who was celebrating his birthday that night, took it about as well as you’d expect from a kid who just lost a home run ball.
“I wasn’t very happy that she had to get the ball, but it all worked at the end,” he said.
The Happy Ending
And boy, did it work out.
The Marlins organization caught wind of the incident quickly. A staffer brought Lincoln a gift bag as both an apology and a birthday present.
But the Phillies weren’t about to be outdone. They arranged for Lincoln to meet Bader after the game, complete with a signed bat.
Going home with a signed bat from Bader pic.twitter.com/pCaXHSjLgL
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 6, 2025
What could’ve been a miserable birthday memory turned into something Lincoln will never forget.
“I’m really, really happy that I got to meet Bader. We got to take a picture with him,” Lincoln said. “I’ve never been that happy to see someone before.”
Sometimes losing the ball means winning something bigger. Drew’s split-second decision to prioritize his family’s safety over a souvenir turned an ugly moment into a masterclass in handling difficult situations.
The woman with the ball? She’s probably still trying to figure out why the internet knows her as “Phillies Karen.”
