A Cleveland Guardians fan who wrestled a home run ball from an 11-year-old girl at a baseball game has publicly apologized for his actions, expressing deep regret for what he called a “big mistake.” Business owner Max Quinn appeared on television to issue his apology after footage of the incident went viral online, sparking widespread outrage and threats against him. The girl, Evelyn, has since forgiven Quinn and urged others to do the same.
The incident took place on Monday, April 27, 2026, during a Cleveland Guardians game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. During the bottom of the fifth inning, Guardians second baseman Daniel Schneemann hit a two-run home run, and the ball came down in front of Evelyn, who was attending the game with her brother and mother.
As detailed by LADbible, footage of the moment shows the ball landing directly in front of Evelyn as she moved to grab it. Quinn, seated in a neighboring section, crossed over and took the ball from the youngster’s hands, then held it up triumphantly to the crowd. Evelyn’s younger brother then approached Quinn and asked him to hand the ball over to his sister, a request Quinn refused.
He knew he’d made a mistake before he even left the stands
Quinn later claimed he “didn’t know it was a little girl” he was taking the ball from, saying he had seen someone with an outstretched glove and acted on impulse. He told Fox 8 News that sitting with the ball afterward left him unable to ignore what he had done: “I went back to my seat, and I heard it from the fans and the people…I was sitting there, and I’m like, ‘I won’t be able to sleep at night if I don’t give this ball back.'” He returned the ball to Evelyn several innings later, towards the end of the game.
By that point, however, the footage had already spread widely across social media. On Tuesday, April 28, 2026, Evelyn’s mother, Nikki DeVore, posted on Facebook stating that thousands of people had “watched the man steal the ball from her daughter.” She also noted her son’s act of walking over to Quinn, writing, “You know my son went to ask him for the ball, which was so brave.” Nikki thanked “Ryan and Tampa” for helping make things right and credited the Tampa Bay Rays fans for their sportsmanship in standing up for her daughter. Incidents like this tend to ignite the kind of swift online pile-on seen in other viral controversies, including cases of a landlord policy sparking Reddit outrage over what users viewed as an unreasonable abuse of authority.
In the wake of the uproar, Quinn’s vintage store, Uncover Vintage, located in Lakewood, Ohio, was targeted with negative reviews online. Quinn also said he received threats in the days following the incident. Speaking to Fox 8 News on Wednesday morning, April 29, Quinn said, “It’s been a rough 24 hours, 36 hours. I’ve learnt that the internet is a really mean and scary place.” He added, “I’m so utterly sorry for everything that’s transpired. It was a heat-of-the-moment thing. I made a bad decision; a lot of bad decisions. I’m paying for it online.” The speed with which the backlash escalated mirrors other recent cases where public behavior caught on camera led to immediate real-world consequences, including a driver facing a felony charge after a confrontation filmed by bystanders went viral.
Quinn also addressed his business and his standing in the Cleveland community directly: “I hope that people in the city and people here in Cleveland, Guardians fans and everybody can forgive me and give me a second chance. Personally and with my business and stuff like that. That’s all I can ask for.” He reflected on what he would do differently, saying he would have handed the ball over immediately.
Evelyn herself appeared in a short clip aired during the Fox 8 segment. She said, “Hi Max, thanks for giving us the ball back, we forgive you for it. We know the internet has been going wild over this, we hope they forgive you.” Quinn said he appreciated Evelyn and her family for extending him grace.
Nikki also amended her original Facebook post, urging people to stop calling for Quinn to be doxxed. She wrote, “My children would not want that. If they can forgive this dude, then surely other fans/adults can.” She added, “We all appreciate a good joke and meme, but trying to ruin someone’s life over this is a bit extreme.”
Published: May 1, 2026 06:30 am