Ryan Howard reached 200 home runs in fewer games than any player in big league history. But a young Florida girl is rethinking her decision to return the ball after she and her mom say they were snubbed.
Just when you thought it was safe to venture back into the often choppy home run ball waters comes the latest story.
Ryan Howard’s 200th homer landed in the hand of a young girl when he belted it to the right field seats against the Florida Marlins last week. Authenticators had been waiting and pounced on her quickly.
She was escorted to a safe area where Phillies officials asked what she wanted in return for the historic baseball. What she said seems to be a bone of contention, but 12 year-old Jennifer Baldiva is pretty insistent that part of the deal was a meeting with the slugger. All she got for a souvenir that might have fetched a couple thousand bucks at auction was an autographed baseball.
Watch the story from Fox 29 in Philly: