A Philadelphia Phillies fan has been caught on camera throwing back a fake ball after catching a home run in the stands.
After Carson Benge of the New York Mets struck a home run against the Phillies on Sunday, NBC’s camera picked out a fan in a Bryce Harper jersey scrambling for the ball on the floor.
He eventually got his hands on it and made his way back to his seat to celebrate with his friends. It is typical for fans to return home run balls hit by their opponents back onto the field.
But this fan clearly had other ideas as he reached down to the floor around his seat, clearly picked up another ball that wasn’t the one struck by Benge and threw it back.
While he did so, the ball that was actually hit by Benge was clearly still in the fan’s glove.
The moment was captured perfectly by NBC’s cameras and the commentators did not hold back in their criticism. ‘Shame on you,’ one said. ‘Caught him red handed.’
A Phillies fan (circled) picked up a home run ball hit by New York Mets star Carson Benge
Rather than return the real ball, the fan swapped it for a fake and kept the real one in his glove
He then tossed the fake one back onto the field, but was caught red-handed by NBC cameras
The controversy comes just nine months after the infamous ‘Phillies Karen’ incident
The latest Phillies fan controversy comes just nine months after the infamous ‘Phillies Karen’ incident, which went on to become a viral sensation.
The incident occurred in September 2025 during a game between Philadelphia and the Miami Marlins in Florida, when Phillies outfielder Harrison Bader smacked a home run to left field at loanDepot Park.
The ball landed near some Philly fans, in front of a woman who was just a little slow to react.
The woman, the man standing next to her, and two other fans tracking the ball all dove to try and get it. In the end, a man wearing a red Phillies shirt was able to reach down and grab it cleanly.
As he walked off, the woman took a swipe at him and missed as the man got back to his seats and then gave the ball to his son, who looked thrilled.
But the woman just couldn’t stand coming up short, hopped down to the man’s row, and confronted him. Shocked, the man turned to her in a defensive stance with his hands at his face.
Eventually, as she kept yelling, the dad took the ball away from his son – who was about to celebrate his 10th birthday – and gave it to the woman. The incident set the internet ablaze as fans desperately tried to name and shame the woman.
