Bat crazy! Fans reluctantly give up souvenir at Phils game

By AARON BRACY
Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Things got sticky when a fan at a Philadelphia Phillies game caught Oneil Cruz’s bat and didn’t want to give it back. Cruz’s bat slipped out of his hands and went flying into the stands after the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie struck out Friday night. The lumber landed in Jen Mehall’s lap behind the Phillies dugout. Mehall, a Pirates fan, was thrilled to get the souvenir. An inning later, though, a Pirates official came to request the bat back and offered another one in a trade. She and her friend, Kathie Koller, didn’t want to give up their rare keepsake. And when security came for the bat, fans in the sections around the two women booed loudly.