Sean Leonard Shannon Moore - The couple slammed by a Yankees announcer for not
giving a foul ball to a crying child next to them are seeking an apology
from the announcer.A picture snapped by Sean
Leonard's brother paints a different picture of the foul ball incident
at Wednesday night's Rangers game."If this picture was the
only picture that was shown online and on the Internet, people would
say, 'Oh, he's got a ball,'" Leonard said. Ball-snatching couple wants apology,
Instead, a viral video from
YES Network spread across social media sites, talk radio and news
stations drew all of the attention. The video of the incident with
commentary by Yankees announcer Michael Kay shows a small child crying
after not getting a ball that was thrown into the stands by Ranger Mitch
Moreland.
Leonard and his fiancee, Shannon Moore, said the video is only half the story.
"I never saw the little boy
crying," said Moore. "I'm looking at him [Sean], he's taking my
picture, and it lasted maybe 10 seconds." Ball-snatching couple wants apology,
After watching the video, the couple admitted they looked bad.
"I wasn't even aware that he was crying until we see the video and then it looked bad," Leonard said. "It was horrific-looking."
But Kay's remarks made her and Leonard look even worse, Moore said.
"He just kept fueling it,"
Moore said. "In this society with social networking, you know, you put
one thing out there, and people attack. And they were. They were
vicious, and they didn't stop."
Moore said she wants an apology from Kay.
"I'm not asking for
anything much, but I think if he has a good heart and he's a faithful
person, he would own up and apologize -- because he did start it," she
said.
The mother of the 3-year-old boy told NBC 5 on Thursday that she felt bad the Leonard and Moore were drawing fire over the incident.
Crystal Shore said Leonard and Moore were friendly and had even offered the ball to her son toward the end of the game.
"I felt sorry for Cameron
and for the other couple because they were made out to be such horrible,
cold-hearted people, and I just ... didn't get that impression from
them at all. They were sweet. They talked to Cameron a lot," she said.
Leonard even offered the ball to her son, but his parents turned it down, they told "The Today Show" on Friday.
"He's 3, and we're kind of at that stage where he thinks he gets everything and anything," his mother said.
"I never once thought that
they should have given him the ball," Crystal Shore said. "We're trying
to teach him he doesn't get everything every time."
For now, Leonard and Moore have other things to worry about. The two are busy with preparations for their May 5 nuptials.
What started as a small
wedding with family and close friends has turned into a much larger
event. The couple's foul ball moment has spread to the United Kingdom,
and Leonard and Moore say family members living there have started
calling asking about the wedding.
"So, of course, everyone who didn't know we were getting married now knows," Leonard said.
The couple hopes that the events from Wednesday's game can be turned into something positive.
They've considered hosting
a fundraising event for Pro Player Foundation, a group that Leonard
already works with, that would teach underprivileged kids from across
the Metroplex how to be better in life through sports.
"If we have to take that
ball and sell it and raise funds for that foundation that can go towards
hundreds of needy kids, then absolutely," Leonard said. "Why not?"
In the meantime, the couple is focusing on their wedding.
"The beautiful thing is we
have a strong love between us that is going to carry us," Leonard said.
"We have a strong faith in God and the truth."
