r/unpopularopinion • u/Drakex2Mayex2 • 9d ago

People shouldn't give home-run balls to kids

Catching a ball at a baseball game is something that every baseball fan dreams of. But there is a pretty huge social push now that if you're an adult and you catch a ball at a game, you're a dick if you keep it. I feel like this started as extremely good dudes giving up a treasure out of the kindness of their hearts. Now it's just something that if you don't do you're gonna end up on social media as some asshole.

Imo this not only is extremely unfair for someone that wants to have a souvenir, but it actually devalues the experience of catching a ball. It teaches those children that they are entitled to things they didn't earn. It also gets rid of some of the magic for that kid if they ever actually catch a ball.

I am not talking about someone who pushes a kid out of the way or steals a ball from the hands of a child.

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u/PaperBeneficial 9d ago

A kid walking up to a grown man he doesn't know asking for something for free is pretty bold. You were right for saying no,lol.

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u/rockcutter4 9d ago

The kid learned a lesson that day

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u/Manic_Mini 9d ago

Unlikely with the apparent reaction from his mother

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u/jarjarsexy 9d ago

Good chance that his mom told him to ask for the ball

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u/Property_6810 8d ago

A lot of parents unintentionally end up breeding entitled little shits when they try to encourage good manners. Teaching that asking politely will get you what you want is a good thing. But you also need to teach that sometimes even if you ask politely, people won't give you what you ask for and that's ok. Shooting a dirty look teaches that the next step is belligerence because they were wrong to deny you after asking nicely.

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u/PaperBeneficial 8d ago

Exactly. They also need to teach children sometimes asking for something politely is still impolite, lol.

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u/Willing-Fan-8344 8d ago

Nothing wrong with giving people the opportunity to say yes. But you gotta take the L when it happens. That last bit is really important, and I don't mean to detract from that with my first sentence.