2009 Philadelphia Phillies - Season's Over, Time to Move On

[ice grillin you]

wow i hate people...

12-Year-Old Girl Robs Phillies Slugger of a Home Run
Phillies slugger is robbed of a home run by a 12-year-old girl
By TODD WRIGHT
Updated 9:27 PM EDT, Tue, Oct 6, 2009

Ryan Howard is used to getting robbed of a home run, just not by a 12-year-old girl.

Jennifer Valdivia filed a lawsuit Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies slugger for the rights to his 200th home run, which made Major League history as the player to reach the milestone the fastest.

In baseball terms, she threw a 100 mph heater high and inside at Howard's head.

Instead of having a legal battle as the MLB postseason is about to start, Howard gave up the ball. "My ball," Jennifer told the Miami Herald. "I have it, finally."

Yay, Jennifer Valdivia, right? Wrong!

We'd like to say this was a happy ending, but it isn't. Howard got robbed like when an outfielder climbs the fence and pulls back one of his homers.

It was never your ball, Jen.

Howard hit the home run at land Shark Stadium against the Florida Marlins on July 16, and as is customary, wanted the ball back.

So Phillies staff invited Valdivia to the club house for a one-on-one meeting with the star, which would have been enough for any other fan. But the Howard also autographed a baseball in exchange for the historic one.

The kid accepted the deal, but after she told her parents, the family told the Phillies and Howard they wanted the ball back. We think you see where this is going.

The family then hired an attorney, who then filed a lawsuit to get the ball back, claiming it was Valdivia's ball and that Howard took advantage of the little girl. Instead of playing baseball tug-of-war with a kid, Howard just gave the ball back.

He probably would have won that battle in court, but would have taken a beating in the media and the public for fighting a little girl and her family over a baseball. And you can bet the family attorney knew that.

Now usually, any victory over the Phillies would be cause for rejoice in South Florida, but this appears to be a bit out of line. What lesson are Valdivia's parents teaching their child by filing legal papers to get a ball back? it looks and smells a lot like greed.

It would have been a far better life lesson to congratulate the girl for being a good sport about it and understanding that the ball probably had far more emotional significance to Howard than to her family, which probably hopes to make a pretty penny off the historic ball at some point.

Instead, Valdivia and Howard are learning the lesson that seems to permeate everything in society today - to make money off of whatever you can, even if it means stepping on another person to do it.

[PhillyPhreak54]

My life sucks almost as much as this stupid playoff schedule.

Today? Got stuck in the office. I hope they have the game on the local ESPN radio. If not, I'm going to have to follow it on Gameday. I was told to work the office today because had to have a meeting this afternoon. The meeting has been moved to tomorrow at 3pm.

So I have to take my girl to the airport tomorrow and come to the office while they are playing. So I will have to DVR tomorrow's game.

I hate you Bud Selig, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox , lame ass west coast fans and MLB.

[SunMo]

wow i hate people...

12-Year-Old Girl Robs Phillies Slugger of a Home Run
Phillies slugger is robbed of a home run by a 12-year-old girl
By TODD WRIGHT
Updated 9:27 PM EDT, Tue, Oct 6, 2009

Ryan Howard is used to getting robbed of a home run, just not by a 12-year-old girl.

Jennifer Valdivia filed a lawsuit Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies slugger for the rights to his 200th home run, which made Major League history as the player to reach the milestone the fastest.

In baseball terms, she threw a 100 mph heater high and inside at Howard's head.

Instead of having a legal battle as the MLB postseason is about to start, Howard gave up the ball. "My ball," Jennifer told the Miami Herald. "I have it, finally."

Yay, Jennifer Valdivia, right? Wrong!

We'd like to say this was a happy ending, but it isn't. Howard got robbed like when an outfielder climbs the fence and pulls back one of his homers.

It was never your ball, Jen.

Howard hit the home run at land Shark Stadium against the Florida Marlins on July 16, and as is customary, wanted the ball back.

So Phillies staff invited Valdivia to the club house for a one-on-one meeting with the star, which would have been enough for any other fan. But the Howard also autographed a baseball in exchange for the historic one.

The kid accepted the deal, but after she told her parents, the family told the Phillies and Howard they wanted the ball back. We think you see where this is going.

The family then hired an attorney, who then filed a lawsuit to get the ball back, claiming it was Valdivia's ball and that Howard took advantage of the little girl. Instead of playing baseball tug-of-war with a kid, Howard just gave the ball back.

He probably would have won that battle in court, but would have taken a beating in the media and the public for fighting a little girl and her family over a baseball. And you can bet the family attorney knew that.

Now usually, any victory over the Phillies would be cause for rejoice in South Florida, but this appears to be a bit out of line. What lesson are Valdivia's parents teaching their child by filing legal papers to get a ball back? it looks and smells a lot like greed.

It would have been a far better life lesson to congratulate the girl for being a good sport about it and understanding that the ball probably had far more emotional significance to Howard than to her family, which probably hopes to make a pretty penny off the historic ball at some point.

Instead, Valdivia and Howard are learning the lesson that seems to permeate everything in society today - to make money off of whatever you can, even if it means stepping on another person to do it.

chances they give her the actual ball

0.000000000001%

[phattymatty]

ha, for real.  also, the 12-year old's parents weren't at the game with her? 

[Sgt PSN]

would anyone (outside of philly) really think any less of howard if he chose to take it to court?  it's not like he told the girl to give the ball back or he'd use her head for batting practice.  it's customary for players to trade a signed bat, ball or jersey in exchange for a significant hr ball so there's no way he took advantage of a little girl.  maybe the casual observer think howard's being unreasonable if he took it it court, but i think any true fan of the game would want to see the ball either in howard's personal collection or in the hof. 

[PhillyPhreak54]

wow i hate people...

12-Year-Old Girl Robs Phillies Slugger of a Home Run
Phillies slugger is robbed of a home run by a 12-year-old girl
By TODD WRIGHT
Updated 9:27 PM EDT, Tue, Oct 6, 2009

Ryan Howard is used to getting robbed of a home run, just not by a 12-year-old girl.

Jennifer Valdivia filed a lawsuit Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies slugger for the rights to his 200th home run, which made Major League history as the player to reach the milestone the fastest.

In baseball terms, she threw a 100 mph heater high and inside at Howard's head.

Instead of having a legal battle as the MLB postseason is about to start, Howard gave up the ball. "My ball," Jennifer told the Miami Herald. "I have it, finally."

Yay, Jennifer Valdivia, right? Wrong!

We'd like to say this was a happy ending, but it isn't. Howard got robbed like when an outfielder climbs the fence and pulls back one of his homers.

It was never your ball, Jen.

Howard hit the home run at land Shark Stadium against the Florida Marlins on July 16, and as is customary, wanted the ball back.

So Phillies staff invited Valdivia to the club house for a one-on-one meeting with the star, which would have been enough for any other fan. But the Howard also autographed a baseball in exchange for the historic one.

The kid accepted the deal, but after she told her parents, the family told the Phillies and Howard they wanted the ball back. We think you see where this is going.

The family then hired an attorney, who then filed a lawsuit to get the ball back, claiming it was Valdivia's ball and that Howard took advantage of the little girl. Instead of playing baseball tug-of-war with a kid, Howard just gave the ball back.

He probably would have won that battle in court, but would have taken a beating in the media and the public for fighting a little girl and her family over a baseball. And you can bet the family attorney knew that.

Now usually, any victory over the Phillies would be cause for rejoice in South Florida, but this appears to be a bit out of line. What lesson are Valdivia's parents teaching their child by filing legal papers to get a ball back? it looks and smells a lot like greed.

It would have been a far better life lesson to congratulate the girl for being a good sport about it and understanding that the ball probably had far more emotional significance to Howard than to her family, which probably hopes to make a pretty penny off the historic ball at some point.

Instead, Valdivia and Howard are learning the lesson that seems to permeate everything in society today - to make money off of whatever you can, even if it means stepping on another person to do it.

What the farg?!

I hope her parents get shot

[MDS]

is valdivia guido or spic i cant tell

[BigEd76]

I'm assuming spanish since it's Miami

[SunMo]

here's another article with a video of the scumbag lawyer

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/story/1270200.html

[MDS]

she talks like one of the sharks in west side story. god damn rafter.

[bowzer]

The lawyer keeps saying he was the youngest to reach the 200 mark... wasn't he the quickest batter to reach it.. not the youngest?

[bowzer]

she talks like one of the sharks in west side story. god damn rafter.

Seriously... how annoying was her accent.  What a farging funhole.

[BigEd76]

supposedly there's 35 mph winds blowing out to right and Utley was hitting bombs in batting practice

[MDS]

The lawyer keeps saying he was the youngest to reach the 200 mark... wasn't he the quickest batter to reach it.. not the youngest?

yea, the quickest. the ball is worth less than munsons trailer.

[Don Ho]

is valdivia guido or spic i cant tell

Great on nachos.