A man who snatched a home run ball from an 11-year-old girl during a baseball match has issued a statement after a video of the incident went viral.
The incident occurred during a match involving the Cleveland Guardians, after Daniel Schneemann had hit a home run.
The fan, since identified as Max Quinn, got into position to catch the ball but dropped it.
It landed at the feet of a young girl, who was attempting to pick it up before Quinn ran across the stand and took it.
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Cameras later captured the girl in tears and she was comforted by her mother.
"He's not going to steal it?" the commentator asked, after the incident was broadcast on-air. "And then he was proud of it! Give that ball back. Come on."
"Yeah, that can't happen," his co-commentator replied.
Quinn did eventually give the ball back, but Fox 8 News reported that only happened after he had refused a request from the girl's brother to return it and was several innings later.
He has since given an interview to the same outlet in which he apologised for his actions.
Baseball fan apologises for 'stealing' from 11-year-old
Quinn claimed that, in his haste in charging towards the ball after shelling it, he failed to notice that the person he stole the ball from was a girl.
"First of all, I want to just put out an apology," he said during an in-studio interview. "I want to say I'm sorry - I'm sorry to the family, I'm sorry to the parents, the little girl, her brother. And I'm so utterly sorry for everything that transpired.
"It was a heat of the moment thing. I made a really bad decision, a lot of bad things, and I'm paying for it online.
"I understand the backlash, I understand that everyone has said to me. But there was no malintent. I didn't want to steal the ball, I didn't try to steal the ball. And I did give it back to her, but I didn't do it in a timely fashion.
"I made a lot of mistakes that night, and I'm not trying to justify what I did, but I am very sorry for what I did and how it happened.
"If I could do it all over again, I would do. I would have grabbed it, given it to her, and been done with it.
"It's been a rough 24 hours, 36 hours ... [I've learnt] don't try to catch the ball, don't go after the ball if you don't catch it.
"I've also learned that the Internet is a really mean and scary place," he added, after people left one-star reviews of his business en masse through Google.
"A lot of people have said a lot of really mean things. I've handled it, I've tried to block it out, and get away from it. But, you know, people find a way to say stuff and try to get in contact with me.
"I'm just trying to do good by myself and my business, and I hope that people in the city, and people here in Cleveland and Guardian fans, can forgive me and give me a second chance - me personally and my business. That's all I can ask for."
During the segment, Fox 8 News broadcasted a video statement sent in by the 11-year-old, identified as Evelyn, who urged people to stop sending abuse towards Quinn and his business.
"Hi, Max," she said. "Thanks for giving us the ball back. We forgive you for it.
"We know that the Internet has been going wild over this, and we hope they forgive you."
"I appreciate that from Evelyn," Quinn said. "Thank you so much for saying that. And thank you to their whole family - that means a lot to me."
Topics: Baseball, United States
Ryan Smart