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Chicago Cubs’ Kyle Schwarber’s walk-off sets Twitter on fire
The Chicago Cubs are fighting to keep their lead in the Division; yet everyone’s lost their head because the “Mai Tai Guy” supposedly stole a kid’s ball.
This happens every year. A fan will get a home run ball and have to fight off a school of kids to get it, and then everyone in Chicago passes judgment on the fan, and it’s always negative feedback. Last year, a guy caught a ball, and some kids were begging for it, but he gave it to his date (happy wife, happy life), and the city went crazy. (You can read more about it here: Chicago Cubs: Social media sets fans hearts ablaze over foul ball incident)
“How could she take the ball?”
“Why did he give it to her?”
“Why is she going out with him?”
“I can’t believe he didn’t give it to those kids.”
Because the Cubs have a national audience, the Twitter and Facebook feed were lighting up with disgust for this guy. After reaching near hysteria, with CNN picking up the clips, finally, the truth came out. This guy had grabbed a bunch of balls earlier and had given them out to the kids in the area. The last one, however, he gave to his girl. When the truth came out, everyone snapped out of the zombie fog they had fallen into and forgave the ball-collector.
This season, Chicago fans have found a new villain through social media posts and rants.
Chicago Cubs: Mai Tai Guy becomes social media villain
This time the Cubs needed to score, and Kyle Schwarber was ready to deliver. Crushing the first walk-off home run of his career, Schwarber smiled as Wrigley Field fans went crazy. Not four days earlier, Schwarber had been on the hot seat with more than a dozen articles pointing to him being the first person Theo Epstein, President of Chicago Cubs baseball operations, was probably going to trade.
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The air was thick with drama when Schwarber’s ball landed in one of the over-hanging baskets and a guy with a jersey that read, “Mai Tai Guy” on the back, scooped up the prize. Standing next to “Mai Tai Guy” were a few little kids who couldn’t reach that far down into the basket to retrieve the home run ball.
“Mai Tai Guy” snagged up the ball like Anthony Rizzo playing the bunt and gave the fans a quick flash of the jewel before going to celebrate with his friend.
Chicago fans were in an uproar again on social media.
“Give the kids the ball!”
“Mai Tai Guy – you are disgusting for taking the ball from those kids!”
“You should be ashamed Mai Tai Guy!”
Geez! I thought the Mayor might come out and make a statement at any moment! Chicago fans roasted the guy because of his jersey and his look. They immediately condemned him as a bad guy, but he wasn’t at all. People started commenting on social media about the clip
It turns out that during batting practice, “Mai Tai Guy” gave dozens of balls to the kids in the area. He was another victim of a short clip on television and social media that didn’t tell the whole story. Before we roast someone in the media, shouldn’t we at least have all the facts?
Chicago Cubs: Big kids like to catch game balls too!
Listen, I’m no spring chicken. After 50 years of life, I’m bringing my glove to the game – mainly for protection. However, if I’m fortunate enough ever to catch my first home run ball from the Cubs, it’s going home with me. A walk-off home run ball? I’ll throw those kids in center field or have my cousin Joey do it! These kids can’t even spell half the players’ names on the team! Why should I give the first ball I ever catch at a Cub’s game to a kid who never waited 47 years for a Championship? I
don’t care how many brats cry in the stadium or how many social media posts call me the “Ball Bandit” or “Kiddie-Hope-Crusher” that ball is going home with me. You can try to pry it out of my cold dead fingers, but it won’t work. In fact, that is precisely how I’m going to keep my ball: pretend I fainted. Everyone will feel so sorry for the guy with the “Buffett for President” jersey that passed out when he caught a ball and forget all about the suffering children of Empty Mitt.
I think it will work.
I’m just a little disappointed in our fans. We’ve got all the pressure right now to keep the first-place lead and try to expand it. Easier said than done when the Division is such a tight race and the President of your organization is looking to make moves with his players, and all you people can think about is the “Mai Tai Guy”?
Next. Cubs, Giants could be a good fit at the deadline. dark
At least Schwarber is proving his detractors wrong as he raked in two homers, three hits and two RBI during the Cincinnati series. If you ask me, I think Schwarber has earned an ice-cold one from the “Mai Tai Guy” while our fans have earned some aspirin.
Cheers!