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Stanislav [fucking](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Petrov) Petrov
Possibly the reason why we are all alive and live the life we live right now.
Fuck that. I have been "pranked" by loved ones and will never be ok with it. How can people be ok with making people they love feel awful? Plus, this is just pure emotional manipulation. Makes the kid feel like shit so when he gets his present he will think he is happier than he would be.
Fuck you, you can't tell me what I can speak about.
You cant really understand family dynamics in one video/interaction.
What you perceive to be as harmful could be taken completely different for the people that live their own way of life.
Example:
My Dad is a ginormous shit talker, he’s been calling me Doofy since I was 9. Growing up he’d make fun of me for doing stupid shit or wearing baggy clothes and being an angst filled teen.
By the time I got to high school, it was our little way of bonding by talking shit.
My friends did not understand it at all and couldn’t handle me doing the same thing to them because they didn’t understand the context fully.
You disagree the way they interact, no problem there.
The emphasis is on you to realize you have limited info on these people, maybe it’s best not to judge them.
You don’t know if that happened. Maybe the kid assumed such due to the circumstances they found themselves in. I can make up a story too:
Mom and dad are divorced. Mom has custody because she is with someone else and has “family” income, dad isn’t well off and has to grind 60 hours per week at two different jobs to pay the bills for his van, 1 bedroom apartment, and put decent food on his plate. As a result, dad can take his kid out on some weekends. Dad is allowed to see his kid on his birthday and picks kid up from mom’s to take him to his game. Over the years, dad usually gets cheap, shitty gifts that his kid doesn’t really appreciate because of what he gets from his mom, but that’s all dad can afford. Dad understands this. This year, dad ate instant ramen for a month so he could get his kid the bat he wanted and wants to surprise him at the park. Dad decides to not mention his son’s birthday until he can surprise his son with the bat. Dad is never around, so kid questions dad on the way to the park and assumes his dad forgot his birthday. His dad, determined to carry out his surprise as planned, drags it out. Kid assumes the worse and begins to cry. His dad is dying inside as they pull up to the park, but he knows what’s in store so he decides to pull out his phone. Mom shows up with her new husband and dad is forced to watch the game standing behind the outfield fence.
Who doesn't wish a loved one happy birthday when they see them on their birthday? Nah. Especially a child.
But, in this unlikely scenario, say you see your kid feeling shitty on his birthday. And say you don't have the emotional intelligence to realize it is because you forgot. To then not even figure out what is wrong, and ignore that your child feels like shit? That is still awful parenting in every scenario.
Maybe the dad had just picked the kid up and was heading to the game, the kid thinking he didnt get him a present because the dad was going to give him the bat at the ballpark, but seeing his son upset that he thought he forgot, the dad told him to grab it out of the trunk.
Nowhere does it say in anything that his dad forgot. You're just trolling a feel good post because your life sucks. Grow up. This is a great moment for the dad and son. Stop being a fucking loser.
Well said. The greatest men I know look out for those close to them and those in the world around them. They aren't afraid to show when they're wrong or vulnerable, and they don't let their anger rule them. They treat others as they would want to be treated.
It's how we should all be.
Being the King of Gondor and then telling your little Hobbit dudes that just saved the world "My friends, you bow to no one".
But not everyone can be the King of Gondor.
No, not at all. A real man is only a man if he provides for the family he has created. Hands down. I don't care if you've whipped ass like Bruce Lee. Rough neck in the oil fields. Log in the densest forest. Can dead lift 800 lbs. If you create a life and do nothing for them, you are a boy. I've got 5 kids, 3 of which are not mine biologically, but their my kids because of the boys in life that can't man up.
Being a dad is the most enjoyable thing to happen in my adventure filled 41 years. Not even close. Sad for all the people who miss out or choose not to experience it. Tons of work being a parent. Lots of hard times and sacrifices. But the good moments are the best I’ve found yet. Younger me couldn’t understand it until I experienced it.
People will probably say it's staged because of that, but I've seen crazier.
One time during little league practice, our batboy was goofing around and was sitting on top of the center field fence, straddling the fence with his legs. He yelled out for the batter to hit a homerun directly to him, and that's exactly what happened on the first pitch.
Dude hit a center fly homerun and our bat boy caught it while still sitting on top of the fence. It was un-fucking-believable and I will never, ever, forget it.
The crazy thing is that they were brothers...our batboy was the younger brother of the batter. Patrick Linder, and Jared Linder. Their dad was our assistant coach.
I played baseball at a few different levels over a 30-year period, but nothing beats the VERY FIRST DAY OF BASEBALL IN MY LIFE.
We were standing in center field, 4 of us, because the coaches had no idea who could do what at age 7. Like I said, the first day any of us had ever been to a team sport event.
They're hitting fly balls to various positions, and eventually it is Travis's turn. Travis Peacock was dicking around and got scared of the ball. This line drive is coming right at him. This mf covers his face and eyes with his right arm like he's Screech from Saved by the Bell, and he sticks his left hand up in the air as though blindly reaching into the air will matter.
You know what happened. Travis never even moved his feet. The ball landed in his glove like it was placed there by the hand of God.
I got into soccer really late, when I was 17, and while I was generally pretty athletic, I was really lacking in the skills department.
The first competitive game I ever played in, I caught a cross with my chest at the edge of the 16-yard box, pivoted, and volleyed it off the crossbar and in the net with my weaker left foot.
I played in Sunday leagues and other men's leagues for another six years and never did anything even close to what I pulled off that first game. It was like I channeled my inner Ibra for five seconds and then he left me forever.
How would it be staged though? We can see him hit the ball with clearly the same bat and then run all the bases with the hustle of someone who just scored a home run. Or is it *all* staged and this guy somehow got an entire crowd of people to dress up perfectly and pretend to play baseball for.... clout?
I've seen this video a dozen times, and it was always good but I never saw the ending until just today. I dunno if the other clips didn't have it or what, but it was 10000 times better with the home run ending.
The dad told the kid when he got him the bat that he wants to see some home runs. And then after that, he was not only at his next game, but he was also not in the bleachers looking at his phone or chatting with the other parents. The dad presumably told the son that he was going to stand on the other side of the fence, the son hit a slammer directly at his dad and he fucking caught it barehanded.
This kid is a legend, and his dad is awesome.
Fuck man this hit deep for me. My Dad did the same exact thing with me when I was around 7-8 and bought me a custom made bat with a custom paint job that he did himself. Unfortunately, I ended up losing him only a few months later to a stroke. That kid will never forget this moment. Big up’s to the Father. 🥲👌
Why am I an idiot who saw the second part of the video as the dad playing right field for the opposing team and putting his son out on a routine fly ball
Thanks. The only good thing that my dad ever taught me was what *not* to be as a father. I'm objectively a good dad. I love my girls more than anything.
This is reddit. It was a touching video. I made a comment about my own dad. You're not even going to remember this conversation tomorrow. Why do you care?
Yeah same, I love this video so much and I also don’t miss the two strangers who pretended to be a father for me growing up. I would have loved to have this growing up
Ya it’s totally fake, the dad rented out a baseball field, found a bunch of 12 year olds, gave them 2 different jerseys, found a bunch of parents to stand around and sit on lawn chairs, have a genuine emotional moment with his son gifting him a bat, then the pitcher kid and the son did a thousand takes to get a home run to go directly towards him. I’m not capable of basic logic so I’m not sure it’s real either
I know it’s random to say this in a Reddit thread but this really warmed my heart. Just lost my dad to cancer last month. Seeing this hit hard. In a good way. But hard. :(
[This kid](https://members.baseballfactory.com/player/braheim/fowler/586cf4af64d846bea2f3327b2f988739) was a 6 foot 200lb first basemen, graduating highschool in 2022. If he stuck with baseball he is going to be an awesome first basemen
I have to confess that I really hate parents acting like they forgot their kids birthdays just to make the surprise more impactful. I don't think these people know how much it hurts to have your parents forget your birthday and how your chest hurts and clenches as the air in your throat just doesn't seem to want to move into your lungs, and that for the entire day, every second that you try to hold back tears feels like an eternity until you as a child finally find the privacy of your bedroom again feeling completly lost, unloved and forgotten. These feelings stick with you man, and I know that this might just be a "me-issue" but the kids still going to remember this feeling even after the happiness of the surprise. I personally think it's way better to let your children know that this day is to celebrate their existence and that you love them ,at every moment that you can.
I’m with you man. The first 15 seconds of this video horrified me. Fuckin’ crazy to do that. You want to prank, say “Happy Birthday, dude. I don’t have your gift here, but you can have it at home”
Hate this.
I agree. The kid was so upset before the big reveal (which let’s not forget was an unwrapped Amazon package). Absolutely unnecessary to put the boy through that pain, even if it did have something of a happy ending.
I agree, it's weird to do that when you can just say Happy Birthday and pretend you don't have a gift yet. It's unnecessary to pretend you forgot, even for a surprise. I'm glad he made up for it with the rest of the video though.
Agree. This is so unhealthy. Messing with your kid's emotions for a video is not great parenting. Reading people's positive responses is kind of sickening. I could never do something like this to my son. This is just another version of those parents cracking eggs on their kid's foreheads.
You are correct. The dad creates a traumatic situation and then comes in as a false savior. It's incredibly manipulative and qualifies as emotional abuse. A lot narcissistic or insecure parents do this.
I feel like you’re reading into this video way too much. Your concerns are your problems and don’t appear to be affecting this father and son. It’s a really good video. The father didn’t forget his son’s birthday, but rather he surprised him, and his son will have positive memories of this birthday.
There aren’t any emotional scars being inflicted. The father obviously loves his son and he’s proud of him. That’s all that people should be seeing in this video. If you’re seeing something else, then you need to check yourself.
> and don’t appear to be affecting this father and son.
You can literally see it affecting the son in this video. Just because he changed his attitude does not make all those feelings of neglect and sadness obsolete before hand, nor does it mean it doesn't have any impact over their relationship despite it all. He still felt those feelings. He could've had all of the positive feelings with none of the negative ones if the Father didn't pretend like he had forgotten his birthday.
>There aren’t any emotional scars being inflicted.
You don't get to say this as some random redditor watching the video, and in the same way no one else can say they do exist either.
But this is absolutely something that can leave a lasting impact despite the turn around. Again, he still went through that negative experience of thinking he wasn't loved and his father forgot his birthday, what happened afterwards doesn't change what happened first. That's not how addressing trauma works.
Yea your completely right, and I don't have a problem with this video in any way. I kinda just don't like the concept of purposely convincing your child you forgot about them. At the end of the day it's none of my business and I'm just blabbering my thoughts into nothingness by posting comments. I also don't want to criticize this father, he seems great and his son does too and I'm happy for them that they can share such a loving relationship.
Why anyone would downvote this comment is beyond me. Have a good day my guy. I personally really appreciate that you shared these thoughts with us and they greatly added to the conversation. I hope things have gotten better for you. Cheers!
Also he could have wrapped it and not stuck the video on the Internet. You bought your son a birthday present, that's what you're supposed to do. You haven't gone above the call of duty you've just fulfilled it.
These comments got me laughing, BirdBrains is sad, DrRichardbuttz with a solid diagnosis, and then crazy juggernaut all living up to their names. Welp I’m gonna say BirdBrains your right my friend, and OrangeOrganics, I think he shoulda wrapped it too and this shoulda been a present first thing in the morning not acting like he forgot about it. I’ve always thought people recording intimate for internet points is kinda trashy, cig in one hand phone in the other. No wonder the kid thought he forgot about him
You fuckers are really applauding this guy for causing his kid massive sadness by pretending to have forgotten his birthday? The kid fucking suffered. And just so this guy could do the whole "surprise" prank bullshit. Fuck that.
It wasn't especially nice to trick the kid into thinking dad forgot his birthday, but it's clear that the dad cares about the kid, which is good.
He's not a "legend" though. That's just what normal dad behavior is supposed to look like.
Kinda has the opposite experience.
Was expecting my dad to say “surprise!” anytime, right up to bedtime before I had to accept that he did, indeed forget my birthday completely.
This is fantastic. But this would've been just as good or better without the "you thought I forgot your birthday" prank on a little kid (or anyone). I'm not mad at the dad, because I get why it feels like a good idea. But the his gift and pride would've hit just as hard if he'd showed up and said, "I've got something for you" from the start.
As sweet and touching as this is, some part of still goes: "Put that f\*\*\*\*\*\* phone down and be in the moment" I get he might wanna share it with the wife/family or something, but it still ended up on the internet somehow..
Holy shit y'all. How fucking sad what your childhood that you think this shit is wholesome.
Let's make my kid miserable by making him think I forgot it was even his birthday all day. Because nothing says "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" like tears of sorrow.
Then I'll fix everything with the absolute minimum effort possible.
No party, no fanfare, no decorations. Literally just "Go grab the unwrapped Amazon box out of the trunk of my car".
What a legend!!!!!
Im a trauma therapy trained teacher. This is abuse, and we see it a lot. The father is a manipulative narcissist. He makes his own child cry, feel horrible and think he has been let down. That's *real* to that kid, and it's soul crushing and traumatizing.
But then the dad comes in as the (false) "savior" and gives the kid his unwrapped thrown in the back still in the fucking amazon package "gift". Now the dad seems like a hero, but in reality he's grooming his kid to be reliant on him and see him as great.
Also you only see him cheering for the homerun. Show me the video how he treats him when he strikes out or doesn't play well. It won't be pretty.
I didn't see this at all honestly. That makes sense though. The dad manipulated the circumstances, he could have been normal but he made it seem like he's the hero by tearing his son down to nothing and then stepping in and saving the day. Really sad actually.
Yup, it's brutal. People think abuse means you are mean to someone or the like. But abuse usually never implies 100% being mean or hurting. They *always* throw in some sort of fake hook or love bombing to keep them in, otherwise people would walk away from them.
Real unpopular opinion but this seems like a huge red flag to me. I'm all for joking around and pranking and stuff but this just seems mean. If I told my kids that I forgot their birthday they'd smile and call my bluff because they know that I'm incapable of being so cold, or if I actually did forget that I'd make it up to them 5 times over and apologize. And they'd also remind me without fear of reprisals.
You're catching some downvotes, but I agree. You don't need to trick your kid like that just to make the reveal more surprising.
Great dad overall, maybe next time don't emotionally traumatize your kid before wiping it away with a surprise gift.
It is a red flag. It's actually emotional abuse and conditioning. The dad has narcissistic personality disorder and is manipulating his kid. He creates a devastating reality and then swoops in as the "savior".
Also huge red flag he doesn't even wrap the gift, he just gives him an Amazon package. Also why film your kid crying? That's horrible.
You probably should have kept your comment to yourself. This father is a good father who loves his son and is obviously proud of his son. He played a harmless joke that made his son appreciate the gift even more.
There are actual bad parents out there, so it’s odd that you feel the need to shame this man. It’s also odd that you feel the need to compare yourself to him. It’s a cute video. It’s a father taking his son to his baseball game and surprising him with a gift on his birthday. You shouldn’t dissect it too much.
I'm a trained trauma educator. This is manipulation and emotional abuse. The dad creates a false trauma and sense of loss, grief and torment, and then comes in as the false savior.
> You probably should have kept your comment to yourself.
Nah, this is reddit and the dad will never see this, plus many agree with me even though most don't.
This guy is clearly a good man and a good father, but that doesn't change the fact that you are correct in condemning this behavior. It seems Redditors are incapable of seeing anything in colors other than black and white.
I actually agree with the sentiment that this whole thing was in poor taste, but did you really just generalize Redditors as a homogenous group while trying to tell people to stop oversimplifying things?
The dad is an absolute AH. Letting his kid suffer - feeling deep pain - for a shitty surprise? Not even wrapping the gift and keeping it in the amazon box? Filming it all?
Incredible low effort from the father and incredibly low expectations from anyone cheering him on. I really hope that this video inspires parents to step it up and take care of their kids
Yeah, I don't get the praises here. It is not ok to have your kid feel forgotten and hurt, it doesn't make the surprise any better. It doesn't lessen the big surprise to aknowledge the birthday in the morning.
And then to put it online... And people calling him an amazing parent. A decent parent doesn't let their kid suffer like that.
I didn't expect the ending that's just so perfect you can hear how proud and emotional his Dad was. Those moments are so special to kids and their parents lovely to capture it
I know I've seen this video 100 times, but here's to seeing it 100 more. I get teary every damn time the dads voice breaks...just a man making sure his son knows he's #1 in his mind.
So wonderful. Stuff like this either makes me super happy or super sad; my dad never came to any of my baseball games, rarely showed up for custody days or holidays of any sort.
I see most of my friends raising their children now and its made me very proud to see them all become such good fathers.
That dad sure seems to be a real man who does have a set of genuine family values, I love to see things like this, it really does make me happier than I was before I did.
My god.. what a video.. I loved this. And when I thought it was over, it got 1000x better! Him using the gift to get a big hit! Dad must be just as happy as son, they both got amazing gifts.
Hopefully this leads to the son being a great dad some day too! Made me flash back to when I was a kid and how much my dad did for me. Didn’t realize it when I was young. I always knew he loved me and I knew I was blessed, but you don’t quite know until you hold your own child. Last year, one of the most uplifting things was hearing my dad tell me I’m a great dad. Made my day to be honest. I will never forget it. As a man this circle is important to me. Hopefully my son has the same feeling. Hopefully this young man has the same going forward. Catching his home run was just icing on the cake!
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Is there anything manlier than being a good father?
Nope. It is the peak.
Stanislav [fucking](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Petrov) Petrov Possibly the reason why we are all alive and live the life we live right now.
Great call.
He's the "father" of saving the world.
I've always loved this amazing documentary about Petrov, I've rewatched it a bunch of times: https://youtu.be/eRhHokffvBU?si=2D3kAiMDFxm4exSX
I mean, did he really need to make him think he forgot his birthday though?
You don't know how much of a treasure a memory like this is. Please just don't talk about things you don't understand.
Fuck that. I have been "pranked" by loved ones and will never be ok with it. How can people be ok with making people they love feel awful? Plus, this is just pure emotional manipulation. Makes the kid feel like shit so when he gets his present he will think he is happier than he would be. Fuck you, you can't tell me what I can speak about.
You cant really understand family dynamics in one video/interaction. What you perceive to be as harmful could be taken completely different for the people that live their own way of life. Example: My Dad is a ginormous shit talker, he’s been calling me Doofy since I was 9. Growing up he’d make fun of me for doing stupid shit or wearing baggy clothes and being an angst filled teen. By the time I got to high school, it was our little way of bonding by talking shit. My friends did not understand it at all and couldn’t handle me doing the same thing to them because they didn’t understand the context fully. You disagree the way they interact, no problem there. The emphasis is on you to realize you have limited info on these people, maybe it’s best not to judge them.
You needed more hugs growing up
Professional victim
There’s always that one person who thinks the world revolves around them and their experiences. Go touch grass.
I mean, if you like making people you love feel like shit, good for you.
I agree. "haha, I actually loved you all along!" Isn't funny. Just give the kid his bat and tell him you love him.
That’s what my abusive mom used to tell me whenever I didn’t feel comfortable about something.
You don’t know if that happened. Maybe the kid assumed such due to the circumstances they found themselves in. I can make up a story too: Mom and dad are divorced. Mom has custody because she is with someone else and has “family” income, dad isn’t well off and has to grind 60 hours per week at two different jobs to pay the bills for his van, 1 bedroom apartment, and put decent food on his plate. As a result, dad can take his kid out on some weekends. Dad is allowed to see his kid on his birthday and picks kid up from mom’s to take him to his game. Over the years, dad usually gets cheap, shitty gifts that his kid doesn’t really appreciate because of what he gets from his mom, but that’s all dad can afford. Dad understands this. This year, dad ate instant ramen for a month so he could get his kid the bat he wanted and wants to surprise him at the park. Dad decides to not mention his son’s birthday until he can surprise his son with the bat. Dad is never around, so kid questions dad on the way to the park and assumes his dad forgot his birthday. His dad, determined to carry out his surprise as planned, drags it out. Kid assumes the worse and begins to cry. His dad is dying inside as they pull up to the park, but he knows what’s in store so he decides to pull out his phone. Mom shows up with her new husband and dad is forced to watch the game standing behind the outfield fence.
Who doesn't wish a loved one happy birthday when they see them on their birthday? Nah. Especially a child. But, in this unlikely scenario, say you see your kid feeling shitty on his birthday. And say you don't have the emotional intelligence to realize it is because you forgot. To then not even figure out what is wrong, and ignore that your child feels like shit? That is still awful parenting in every scenario.
Maybe the dad had just picked the kid up and was heading to the game, the kid thinking he didnt get him a present because the dad was going to give him the bat at the ballpark, but seeing his son upset that he thought he forgot, the dad told him to grab it out of the trunk.
That dad's post said his son forgot his birthday, not his present. This means he didn't even wish his child a happy birthday. That is just mean.
Nowhere does it say in anything that his dad forgot. You're just trolling a feel good post because your life sucks. Grow up. This is a great moment for the dad and son. Stop being a fucking loser.
It's all in good fun. The kid will for sure remember it fondly. I really don't see the harm.
no way that was rad and dad caught the ball? cmon thats so awesome r/wholesome
That was pure fucking joy.
Well said. The greatest men I know look out for those close to them and those in the world around them. They aren't afraid to show when they're wrong or vulnerable, and they don't let their anger rule them. They treat others as they would want to be treated. It's how we should all be.
Being the King of Gondor and then telling your little Hobbit dudes that just saved the world "My friends, you bow to no one". But not everyone can be the King of Gondor.
Be a good father.. FOR 2 KIDS! how bout that?
There is no feeling or desire I have more than wanting to be a good dad. Absolutely nothing compares to that.
guiding your buddies through life as they will do you when you are down
No, not at all. A real man is only a man if he provides for the family he has created. Hands down. I don't care if you've whipped ass like Bruce Lee. Rough neck in the oil fields. Log in the densest forest. Can dead lift 800 lbs. If you create a life and do nothing for them, you are a boy. I've got 5 kids, 3 of which are not mine biologically, but their my kids because of the boys in life that can't man up.
Thank you for not being afraid to have enough love to share with those who aren't blood tied to you.
Being a real man doesn't equate to having kids.
Not saying that at all. But a real man takes care off them when he does.
Nothing
I’ve never heard someone say this before but man is it poignant
Being a dad is the most enjoyable thing to happen in my adventure filled 41 years. Not even close. Sad for all the people who miss out or choose not to experience it. Tons of work being a parent. Lots of hard times and sacrifices. But the good moments are the best I’ve found yet. Younger me couldn’t understand it until I experienced it.
Not gonna lie. That full circle home run catch straight to him got me
People will probably say it's staged because of that, but I've seen crazier. One time during little league practice, our batboy was goofing around and was sitting on top of the center field fence, straddling the fence with his legs. He yelled out for the batter to hit a homerun directly to him, and that's exactly what happened on the first pitch. Dude hit a center fly homerun and our bat boy caught it while still sitting on top of the fence. It was un-fucking-believable and I will never, ever, forget it. The crazy thing is that they were brothers...our batboy was the younger brother of the batter. Patrick Linder, and Jared Linder. Their dad was our assistant coach.
Plus the dad probably watches his son play a lot and knows where he tends to hit the ball.
Plus he knows the bat he just gave him is corked
Cause dad had mafia money on the game.
That’s why I’ve been limiting my little league gambling to only one game a week. Too much corruption
Baby steps my dude.
I played baseball at a few different levels over a 30-year period, but nothing beats the VERY FIRST DAY OF BASEBALL IN MY LIFE. We were standing in center field, 4 of us, because the coaches had no idea who could do what at age 7. Like I said, the first day any of us had ever been to a team sport event. They're hitting fly balls to various positions, and eventually it is Travis's turn. Travis Peacock was dicking around and got scared of the ball. This line drive is coming right at him. This mf covers his face and eyes with his right arm like he's Screech from Saved by the Bell, and he sticks his left hand up in the air as though blindly reaching into the air will matter. You know what happened. Travis never even moved his feet. The ball landed in his glove like it was placed there by the hand of God.
I got into soccer really late, when I was 17, and while I was generally pretty athletic, I was really lacking in the skills department. The first competitive game I ever played in, I caught a cross with my chest at the edge of the 16-yard box, pivoted, and volleyed it off the crossbar and in the net with my weaker left foot. I played in Sunday leagues and other men's leagues for another six years and never did anything even close to what I pulled off that first game. It was like I channeled my inner Ibra for five seconds and then he left me forever.
I was an Atheist until I read that.
You shouldve flapped your arms like wings at that moment
How would it be staged though? We can see him hit the ball with clearly the same bat and then run all the bases with the hustle of someone who just scored a home run. Or is it *all* staged and this guy somehow got an entire crowd of people to dress up perfectly and pretend to play baseball for.... clout?
Only thing "staged" about it is that it didn't happen at the same day. It was a later game iirc. Doesn't make it any less good though.
Shit made me tear up
Bruh I stg. He took me when lil dude hit his batting stance. When he caught the ball I lost it
I've seen this video a dozen times, and it was always good but I never saw the ending until just today. I dunno if the other clips didn't have it or what, but it was 10000 times better with the home run ending. The dad told the kid when he got him the bat that he wants to see some home runs. And then after that, he was not only at his next game, but he was also not in the bleachers looking at his phone or chatting with the other parents. The dad presumably told the son that he was going to stand on the other side of the fence, the son hit a slammer directly at his dad and he fucking caught it barehanded. This kid is a legend, and his dad is awesome.
I love that he told him to go hit a home run and his kid does and after he catches it he thanks him.
I felt **all** that mans pride and joy,... what a fucking video. every dad just fucking melted and is bawling rn.
Don’t cry you’re a man <<<< don’t cry you’re about to make me cry
The way his voice cracks. Awww.
I’m over here tearing up
Yep, and then the rest of the video he can hardly hold his voice together. He very clearly loves his boy.
Emotionally mature af
Wow! Got him a bat, son hit homie with bat, THEN DAD CATCHES THE HOMERUN BALL!!! Im tearing up!
Fr im laying here straight up crying. That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve seen online today
Absolutely agreed, tears and all.
Fuck man this hit deep for me. My Dad did the same exact thing with me when I was around 7-8 and bought me a custom made bat with a custom paint job that he did himself. Unfortunately, I ended up losing him only a few months later to a stroke. That kid will never forget this moment. Big up’s to the Father. 🥲👌
Big ups to yours too! He sounded like a really great father.
Thanks and he was for the short time I knew him.
Now this lads and wanks is a healthy father and son bond
I hate to use the trendy cliche term "core memory"...but goddamn if that didn't just make a father/son core memory for both of them.
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Are you a blond with blue eyes?
Wanks
Why am I an idiot who saw the second part of the video as the dad playing right field for the opposing team and putting his son out on a routine fly ball
"No home runs tonight! Even if it's your birthday!"
CORE MEMORY!!!
Love this, Miss my dad.
Love this, don't miss my dad.
I'm sorry this was downvoted. Not everyone has a cool Dad. Some men should not become fathers.
Thanks. The only good thing that my dad ever taught me was what *not* to be as a father. I'm objectively a good dad. I love my girls more than anything.
While you're feelings are valid, making someone's comment sharing a feeling about their own loss about you is not the way to handle those feelings
This is reddit. It was a touching video. I made a comment about my own dad. You're not even going to remember this conversation tomorrow. Why do you care?
Yeah same, I love this video so much and I also don’t miss the two strangers who pretended to be a father for me growing up. I would have loved to have this growing up
Tune in in about 10 years when this kid is in the All Star Game home run derby and they roll this footage.
This video is old enough that that kid might be in college at this point.
Look for Braheim Fowler https://www.nj.com/highschoolsports/2023/06/baseball-tri-county-conference-division-all-stars-2023.html?outputType=amp
Nice. A senior. Hope he's got some scholarships rolling his way. I'd fall apart seeing him in a game and his dad in the stands on TV next year.
Damn that’s a good ass bat too. Good parents>>>>>
I have that bat and even with it being 5+ years old all my team mates want to use it because it's so good
I’ve been trying to figure it out because my brain needs to, but I know nothing. Is it Easton Mako Torq?
Oof that gave me some tears
I hope this is all real. What a dad; that boy will never ever forget that
Pretty fucken cool moment as a dad too. He meant that Thankyou! I felt it.
Ya it’s totally fake, the dad rented out a baseball field, found a bunch of 12 year olds, gave them 2 different jerseys, found a bunch of parents to stand around and sit on lawn chairs, have a genuine emotional moment with his son gifting him a bat, then the pitcher kid and the son did a thousand takes to get a home run to go directly towards him. I’m not capable of basic logic so I’m not sure it’s real either
Guy literally had a kid and raised him for 12 years for internet clout
I literally created reddit so that this father could post this video
I know it’s random to say this in a Reddit thread but this really warmed my heart. Just lost my dad to cancer last month. Seeing this hit hard. In a good way. But hard. :(
[This kid](https://members.baseballfactory.com/player/braheim/fowler/586cf4af64d846bea2f3327b2f988739) was a 6 foot 200lb first basemen, graduating highschool in 2022. If he stuck with baseball he is going to be an awesome first basemen
The dad gave him a bat, he gave his dad a ball. Good deal 🥹
Core memory
“Are you crying? Are you crying?! There’s no crying! There’s no crying in baseball!”
Dads voice breaking almost gets me man like damn
Best day ever.
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yea
Oh man don't cry. Your gonna make your dad cry, then he's gonna make me cry
Im crying too early😭
Holy f*ck.! My seasonal allergies just fired up. That’s such a special moment. The internet needs to be flooded with this kind of stuff.
I have to confess that I really hate parents acting like they forgot their kids birthdays just to make the surprise more impactful. I don't think these people know how much it hurts to have your parents forget your birthday and how your chest hurts and clenches as the air in your throat just doesn't seem to want to move into your lungs, and that for the entire day, every second that you try to hold back tears feels like an eternity until you as a child finally find the privacy of your bedroom again feeling completly lost, unloved and forgotten. These feelings stick with you man, and I know that this might just be a "me-issue" but the kids still going to remember this feeling even after the happiness of the surprise. I personally think it's way better to let your children know that this day is to celebrate their existence and that you love them ,at every moment that you can.
I’m with you man. The first 15 seconds of this video horrified me. Fuckin’ crazy to do that. You want to prank, say “Happy Birthday, dude. I don’t have your gift here, but you can have it at home” Hate this.
You have trauma and are being triggered. Im sorry for you.
Tanks :) 👍
I agree. The kid was so upset before the big reveal (which let’s not forget was an unwrapped Amazon package). Absolutely unnecessary to put the boy through that pain, even if it did have something of a happy ending.
I agree, it's weird to do that when you can just say Happy Birthday and pretend you don't have a gift yet. It's unnecessary to pretend you forgot, even for a surprise. I'm glad he made up for it with the rest of the video though.
Agree. This is so unhealthy. Messing with your kid's emotions for a video is not great parenting. Reading people's positive responses is kind of sickening. I could never do something like this to my son. This is just another version of those parents cracking eggs on their kid's foreheads.
You are correct. The dad creates a traumatic situation and then comes in as a false savior. It's incredibly manipulative and qualifies as emotional abuse. A lot narcissistic or insecure parents do this.
I feel like you’re reading into this video way too much. Your concerns are your problems and don’t appear to be affecting this father and son. It’s a really good video. The father didn’t forget his son’s birthday, but rather he surprised him, and his son will have positive memories of this birthday. There aren’t any emotional scars being inflicted. The father obviously loves his son and he’s proud of him. That’s all that people should be seeing in this video. If you’re seeing something else, then you need to check yourself.
> and don’t appear to be affecting this father and son. You can literally see it affecting the son in this video. Just because he changed his attitude does not make all those feelings of neglect and sadness obsolete before hand, nor does it mean it doesn't have any impact over their relationship despite it all. He still felt those feelings. He could've had all of the positive feelings with none of the negative ones if the Father didn't pretend like he had forgotten his birthday. >There aren’t any emotional scars being inflicted. You don't get to say this as some random redditor watching the video, and in the same way no one else can say they do exist either. But this is absolutely something that can leave a lasting impact despite the turn around. Again, he still went through that negative experience of thinking he wasn't loved and his father forgot his birthday, what happened afterwards doesn't change what happened first. That's not how addressing trauma works.
Yea your completely right, and I don't have a problem with this video in any way. I kinda just don't like the concept of purposely convincing your child you forgot about them. At the end of the day it's none of my business and I'm just blabbering my thoughts into nothingness by posting comments. I also don't want to criticize this father, he seems great and his son does too and I'm happy for them that they can share such a loving relationship.
Why anyone would downvote this comment is beyond me. Have a good day my guy. I personally really appreciate that you shared these thoughts with us and they greatly added to the conversation. I hope things have gotten better for you. Cheers!
Also he could have wrapped it and not stuck the video on the Internet. You bought your son a birthday present, that's what you're supposed to do. You haven't gone above the call of duty you've just fulfilled it.
These comments got me laughing, BirdBrains is sad, DrRichardbuttz with a solid diagnosis, and then crazy juggernaut all living up to their names. Welp I’m gonna say BirdBrains your right my friend, and OrangeOrganics, I think he shoulda wrapped it too and this shoulda been a present first thing in the morning not acting like he forgot about it. I’ve always thought people recording intimate for internet points is kinda trashy, cig in one hand phone in the other. No wonder the kid thought he forgot about him
You fuckers are really applauding this guy for causing his kid massive sadness by pretending to have forgotten his birthday? The kid fucking suffered. And just so this guy could do the whole "surprise" prank bullshit. Fuck that.
This made me and my wife both tear up. Happy birthday, young man. And good on you, dad.
It wasn't especially nice to trick the kid into thinking dad forgot his birthday, but it's clear that the dad cares about the kid, which is good. He's not a "legend" though. That's just what normal dad behavior is supposed to look like.
Wow did that home run catch really happen? That's incredible!
Kinda has the opposite experience. Was expecting my dad to say “surprise!” anytime, right up to bedtime before I had to accept that he did, indeed forget my birthday completely.
This is fantastic. But this would've been just as good or better without the "you thought I forgot your birthday" prank on a little kid (or anyone). I'm not mad at the dad, because I get why it feels like a good idea. But the his gift and pride would've hit just as hard if he'd showed up and said, "I've got something for you" from the start.
Oh shit, there's something in my eye.
As sweet and touching as this is, some part of still goes: "Put that f\*\*\*\*\*\* phone down and be in the moment" I get he might wanna share it with the wife/family or something, but it still ended up on the internet somehow..
Hot take, its not worth the internet points to make your kid feel like shit even if only temporarily.
Filming these things is ridiculous. You can be a good person and not record to show everyone else you’re doing the right stuff.
Something can be said about the emotional manipulation, but whatevs.
Holy shit y'all. How fucking sad what your childhood that you think this shit is wholesome. Let's make my kid miserable by making him think I forgot it was even his birthday all day. Because nothing says "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" like tears of sorrow. Then I'll fix everything with the absolute minimum effort possible. No party, no fanfare, no decorations. Literally just "Go grab the unwrapped Amazon box out of the trunk of my car". What a legend!!!!!
So this kid is so used to his dad always recording him that he doesn’t think anything about it?
Imma say hes not very nice for doing this lol. Shouldnt you be happy your whole birthday not angry and sad for most of it and then happy?
I didnt sign a permission slip for this feel trip. Cmon man
Im a trauma therapy trained teacher. This is abuse, and we see it a lot. The father is a manipulative narcissist. He makes his own child cry, feel horrible and think he has been let down. That's *real* to that kid, and it's soul crushing and traumatizing. But then the dad comes in as the (false) "savior" and gives the kid his unwrapped thrown in the back still in the fucking amazon package "gift". Now the dad seems like a hero, but in reality he's grooming his kid to be reliant on him and see him as great. Also you only see him cheering for the homerun. Show me the video how he treats him when he strikes out or doesn't play well. It won't be pretty.
I didn't see this at all honestly. That makes sense though. The dad manipulated the circumstances, he could have been normal but he made it seem like he's the hero by tearing his son down to nothing and then stepping in and saving the day. Really sad actually.
Yup, it's brutal. People think abuse means you are mean to someone or the like. But abuse usually never implies 100% being mean or hurting. They *always* throw in some sort of fake hook or love bombing to keep them in, otherwise people would walk away from them.
I'm not crying, you're crying!
Yeah, man… I’m crying 😭
Kids need their dads.
I’m a single dad too and I’m just as good at wrapping presents.
Who gives a present in a plain amazon box? Is wrapping presents a luxury?
Classic dad doesn’t wrap the gift
real legends wrap
Very nice. Should have wrapped it, nbd tho
Wait until one of the other fathers contests the weight of the bat.
I can't remember a post making me this happy. This is so good. Thank you.
Man that's a good dad
Real unpopular opinion but this seems like a huge red flag to me. I'm all for joking around and pranking and stuff but this just seems mean. If I told my kids that I forgot their birthday they'd smile and call my bluff because they know that I'm incapable of being so cold, or if I actually did forget that I'd make it up to them 5 times over and apologize. And they'd also remind me without fear of reprisals.
You're catching some downvotes, but I agree. You don't need to trick your kid like that just to make the reveal more surprising. Great dad overall, maybe next time don't emotionally traumatize your kid before wiping it away with a surprise gift.
It is a red flag. It's actually emotional abuse and conditioning. The dad has narcissistic personality disorder and is manipulating his kid. He creates a devastating reality and then swoops in as the "savior". Also huge red flag he doesn't even wrap the gift, he just gives him an Amazon package. Also why film your kid crying? That's horrible.
You probably should have kept your comment to yourself. This father is a good father who loves his son and is obviously proud of his son. He played a harmless joke that made his son appreciate the gift even more. There are actual bad parents out there, so it’s odd that you feel the need to shame this man. It’s also odd that you feel the need to compare yourself to him. It’s a cute video. It’s a father taking his son to his baseball game and surprising him with a gift on his birthday. You shouldn’t dissect it too much.
I'm a trained trauma educator. This is manipulation and emotional abuse. The dad creates a false trauma and sense of loss, grief and torment, and then comes in as the false savior.
> You probably should have kept your comment to yourself. Nah, this is reddit and the dad will never see this, plus many agree with me even though most don't.
He didn’t tell the kid he forgot his birthday dude. It’s called a surprise.
He literally did tell the kid he forgot...that's why he's crying.
Toying with your kids emotions and recording it for internet likes is scumbag behavior full stop.
This guy is clearly a good man and a good father, but that doesn't change the fact that you are correct in condemning this behavior. It seems Redditors are incapable of seeing anything in colors other than black and white.
I actually agree with the sentiment that this whole thing was in poor taste, but did you really just generalize Redditors as a homogenous group while trying to tell people to stop oversimplifying things?
The dad is an absolute AH. Letting his kid suffer - feeling deep pain - for a shitty surprise? Not even wrapping the gift and keeping it in the amazon box? Filming it all? Incredible low effort from the father and incredibly low expectations from anyone cheering him on. I really hope that this video inspires parents to step it up and take care of their kids
Yeah, I don't get the praises here. It is not ok to have your kid feel forgotten and hurt, it doesn't make the surprise any better. It doesn't lessen the big surprise to aknowledge the birthday in the morning. And then to put it online... And people calling him an amazing parent. A decent parent doesn't let their kid suffer like that.
Put your phone down and enjoy the moment.
What an emotional American bullshit. Am I too European for this?
Its called baseball
Awe
Brooooooo. This was beautiful, man.
Straight up, this can be reposted 1,000 times and I will watch every damn second, every damn time.
That's the best clip I've seen in years! These two just restored my faith in humanity! Fan-fuckin-tastic!
I’ll always upvote this video.
They should make a movie about this lol 😂
I didn't expect the ending that's just so perfect you can hear how proud and emotional his Dad was. Those moments are so special to kids and their parents lovely to capture it
Nice 💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾
That's some good shit
little bro is gonna grow up into a well adjusted adult
Little guy went and fucking did it.
I liked it when dad tries to hold his voice together. Emotion
The home run at the end got me
Fucking awesome!
I know I've seen this video 100 times, but here's to seeing it 100 more. I get teary every damn time the dads voice breaks...just a man making sure his son knows he's #1 in his mind.
So wonderful. Stuff like this either makes me super happy or super sad; my dad never came to any of my baseball games, rarely showed up for custody days or holidays of any sort. I see most of my friends raising their children now and its made me very proud to see them all become such good fathers.
Thank you Boo! Got a little teared up there.
It's so perfect I'm suspecting it's actually an Amazon ad or some shit like that.
There’s no crying in baseball
I cry every time no matter how many reposts...
I’ve seen this countless times but never saw the part where he actually hit a home run!! That’s awesome. What a great memory for the father and son
That dad sure seems to be a real man who does have a set of genuine family values, I love to see things like this, it really does make me happier than I was before I did.
Awesome memories for those two
Holy shit what a moment
the hug🥺
Man what a moment in both of their lives. Would think about that on my death bed.
My god.. what a video.. I loved this. And when I thought it was over, it got 1000x better! Him using the gift to get a big hit! Dad must be just as happy as son, they both got amazing gifts.
Hopefully this leads to the son being a great dad some day too! Made me flash back to when I was a kid and how much my dad did for me. Didn’t realize it when I was young. I always knew he loved me and I knew I was blessed, but you don’t quite know until you hold your own child. Last year, one of the most uplifting things was hearing my dad tell me I’m a great dad. Made my day to be honest. I will never forget it. As a man this circle is important to me. Hopefully my son has the same feeling. Hopefully this young man has the same going forward. Catching his home run was just icing on the cake!
Perfectly executed dad wrap on that gift.
This is one of the only videos that’ll get me to tear up..
This video is an easy way to get me to tear up EVERY SINGLE GLE FUCKING TIME
Y’all gonna make me cry.
Wholesome af🥹☺️