Someone the internet has dubbed the “Phillies Karen” is probably going to have a very bad day today.

But it is also going to serve as a timely reminder for all of us – when you are in public, at a sporting event or a concert, assume that you are being filmed, and behave accordingly.

Last night, Harrison Bader of the Philadelphia Phillies hit a home run while playing the Miami Marlins at LoanDepot Park in Miami. As to be expected, fans immediately went for the ball when it got into the stands. And as someone who has been to many baseball games, when a ball goes into the stands, the law of the jungle takes over. (I caught a foul ball at a game in the late 90’s, so I have a little experience with this.) The ball was not caught cleanly by any fan, so once it hit the floor, it was fair game for anyone who got to it first. A man got the ball off the floor, and then immediately presented it to his son.

Enter “Phillies Karen,” who demanded the ball.

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

The ball may have touched her hand, but she didn’t hang on to it. And then she went and grabbed a complete stranger to demand “her” ball.

At least six fans raced into an empty row of the blue seats to try and snatch the ball before the father, wearing a red Phillies t-shirt, sprinted to the area and secured the prized souvenir.

The dad then walked back to where his family was sitting, approximately five seats away, and handed the ball to his ecstatic son, identified by the Phillies as Lincoln.

But a gray-haired Phillies fan, who failed to grab the ball in front of her seat, was not going to let the moment slip through her fingers.

Seconds after the father gave his son the ball, the woman grabbed the startled father’s shoulder and berated him over to stake a claim to it.

“You took it from me. It was in my hand,” the woman claimed, according to fan-recorded footage.

The two fans exchanged some words as both pointed to where the ball was picked up.

After a few seconds of a verbal dispute, the father shockingly grabbed the ball from his son’s glove and handed it over to the woman, who furiously returned to her seat.

Now, the story does have a happy ending for young Lincoln. He was apparently there at the game to celebrate his birthday, and once the Phillies and the Marlins knew what was happening, both teams reached out to the family. The Marlins gave the boy and his sister goodie bags, but the icing on the cake (since they are Phillies fans) was getting to meet Bader and getting a signed bat.

Going home with a signed bat from Bader pic.twitter.com/pCaXHSjLgL

— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 6, 2025

Phillies Karen, on the other hand, has the internet looking for her. After weeks of seeing bad behavior go viral, how did this woman not realize that she was being caught on camera? There was the Coldplay “kiss cam” incident that caught an affair. There was the Polish CEO who grabbed an autographed hat away from a kid at the US Open. If you are in public, you are being filmed. And Phillies Karen got caught from multiple angles.
https://twitter.com/irenekazakos/status/1964161850490130869
Now, do I think that her life should be ruined over this? The internet has gone into full Nancy Drew mode trying to find out her identity. I don’t think it’s worth it. The kid made out like a bandit because his dad kept his cool, which reflects well on dad. Phillies Karen was definitely recognized by her friends, her family, her community, and/or her workplace. Knowing who she is won’t make her embarassment any less. She can’t even show off the home run ball, or talk about “catching it” at the game because everyone around her will know the truth (or figure it out VERY quickly). She broke a cardinal rule of baseball – never make a kid’s experience at the game a bad one. Teams are always looking to make a kid’s time at a baseball game a good one, because it’s not just about making a fan happy – it’s about KEEPING them as a fan in the future. It cost the Marlins and the Phillies very little to make Lincoln’s day much better. Phillies Karen, on the other hand, will likely not be able to show her face outside of her house, much less at a game, anytime soon – even without the internet knowing her name.

The lesson to take away here? Don’t be Phillies Karen. Let the kid have the ball. And if you really want to hang onto a ball that is coming into the stands, bring a glove.

Featured image via Pixabay, cropped, Pixabay license