CHICAGO —Kyle Schwarber hit his first career walk-off homer to give the Chicago Cubs a 4-3 comeback victory over the Cincinnati Reds Tuesday night.
As fans at Wrigley Field celebrated, two young boys in the front row of the bleachers eagerly reached for Schwarber’s ball that landed in the left-field basket. That’s when a man wearing a blue “Cubs” jersey, with the name “Mai Tai Guy” on the back, stretched over the boys and snagged the home run ball.
We’ll take this dinger to go, please.#Walkoff #EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/LXsaCKzuHA
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) July 17, 2019
The man then celebrated his victory by raising the ball in the air for everyone to see, before turning around and heading back up the bleachers.
And just like that, #MaiTaiGuy was born — and the internet is not happy.
Wrigley’s new villain? #MaiTaiGuy pic.twitter.com/kztLpzqcuZ
— Teddy Greenstein (@TeddyGreenstein) July 17, 2019
Come on @Cubs fan #MaiTaiGuy – took that ball from a couple of kids…#bummer @espn @ESPNChiCubs @LenKasper @mlb @thekapman @Kelly_Crull @kschwarb12 But we’ll take the walkoff! pic.twitter.com/SZTPq47Rt2
— Matt Shelton (@CubbieBlueMatt) July 17, 2019
I hear #MaiTaiGuy will be sent to an undisclosed lagoon. #chancethesnapper #CINvsCHC
— Ben Meader (@blmeader) July 17, 2019
#CINvsCHC hey mai Thai guy. You really acted like the big man on campus taking that Schwarber homerun ball from those two little boys at the basket. You should be ashamed. Give it back
— Soto (@soto_deplorable) July 17, 2019
Mai Tai Guy at the Cubs game, you took that ball from children. Shameful.#maitaiguy
— baseball and horses (@Duisburgkid) July 17, 2019
Hey #MaiTaiGuy! pic.twitter.com/3CBdK6Z45q
— 🅰shley 🅱. (@Ashley_Lauren07) July 17, 2019
However, some agree with #MaiTaiGuy and believe that all is fair in love and baseball.
I’d like to believe #MaiTaiGuy was caught up in the excitement of the moment and didnt even realize those were kids and after he realized it he gave the ball to one of them, I hope that’s how it went down anyways. #Cubs
— Billy Donovan (@BillyDonovan) July 17, 2019
I stand w/ #MaiTaiGuy. The kids couldn't reach the ball, so he didnt steal it. And he gave those kids & others 6 balls during BP!
It's not like it was a lame foul ball. It was a walkoff homer!
The beauty of baseball is that it brings out the kid in all of us. Let him enjoy it!
— Ashvin Lad (@ashvinlad) July 17, 2019
