By
Steve Hartman
Steve Hartman
Correspondent
Steve Hartman is a CBS News correspondent. He brings viewers moving stories from the unique people he meets in his weekly award-winning feature segment “On the Road.”
September 26, 2025 / 8:17 PM EDT
/ CBS News
Philadelphia — Just about everyone at a Major League Baseball game wants a foul ball, and 9-year-old Jameson Pennings is no exception.
Jameson so wanted a ball earlier this month that his parents, James and Eve Pennings, bought tickets to a Sept. 10 Philadelphia Phillies home game versus the New York Mets, with seats along the third base line, down near where the ball girl sometimes tosses foul balls into the crowd.
And sure enough, in the fifth inning, that is exactly what happened.
“He sat and he cherished it and at one point he’s like, ‘Dad, is that where the bat hit?’” James told CBS News. “‘Oh, yeah, that’s where the bat hit.’”
James thought Jameson would cherish the ball “forever.” But forever only lasted four more innings.
“I’m still astounded,” James said of what his son did next.
“I’m very proud of him,” Eve added.
Unbeknownst to his parents, earlier in the game, Jameson overheard a woman talking to that same ball girl. The woman was hoping to get a foul ball for her mother, Donna Morey, who was at the game, celebrating her 80th birthday.
Unfortunately, getting anyone on the field to toss you a foul ball is a charm offensive that heavily favors the young. Jameson knew the odds of an 80-year-old getting a ball were slim to none. So, he walked over to her, treasure in hand.
“I was so shocked,” Morey told CBS News. “I just didn’t know what to say. It was unbelievable to me. It really was. And I said, ‘Why are you giving it to me?’”
“I thought, she is way older, and she can’t come to many more games, and I can go to more, and get many more balls,” Jameson said.
Donna accepted his gift.
“It symbolizes goodness in this world,” Donna said.
And Jameson says he is so glad she did, because he’s actually happier without it.
“I will leave feeling really good about myself,” Jameson said. “So does it really matter that I left without a ball?”
Steve Hartman is a CBS News correspondent. He brings viewers moving stories from the unique people he meets in his weekly award-winning feature segment “On the Road.”
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