It’s been a weird week for balls in the stands. First, we had an undercover White Sox fan hold a Red Sox rookie’s first HR ball hostage. And now, we’ve got a scene straight out of ‘Night of the Living Dead’ involving a Mets reporter, his first foul ball, and a swarm of envious fans.
During last night’ Mets-Pirates game, SNY Reporter Steve Gelbs made his way to an empty section of seats for the express purpose of catching his first foul ball – he brought a glove and everything, and he wasn’t messing around: “You know, if a kid … I see some kids a little way over there, if there’s a ball and it’s a toss up … I’m gonna fight ’em.”
Well, in true fateful fashion, Gelbs DID eventually grab a foul ball, but he was immediately surrounded by fans – young and old – as hungry as he was. And he didn’t really appreciate it.
At first you can tell Gelbs is actually a little annoyed, “Look at all these people trying to grab the ball from me. Guys, excuse me, guys.” But he quickly shifts his tone and handles it well, jokingly calling for security, before interviewing “Bob from North Jersey,” who’s never caught a ball before in his life, either.
Eventually, Gelbs found a young kid and handed off the baseball (second video below). Good times.