"I Dropped the Ball": Little Emily Speaks
She’s got a killer swing, but she throws like a (3-year-old) girl
By TERESA MASTERSON
Updated 9:36 AM CST, Fri, Sep 18, 2009
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“I dropped the ball,” Emily Monforto confessed to a reporter. Yes she did.
The 3-year-old Laurel Springs, N.J., girl became famous overnight for throwing a foul ball back on to the field at Tuesday night's Phillies-Nationals game -- a ball her father had just caught and given to her. Video of the hilarious toss spread across the internet and cable news networks on Wednesday.
“I said to my friends that I got the new ball and then I throwed it back,” Emily told reporter Tim Furlong. “And the guy got us a new one.”
“The guy” was a Phillies staffer who brought the family a new ball at Citizens Bank Park Tuesday night.
In the interview, Emily displayed all the irresistible cuteness that made her night at the ballpark a must-see spectacle. Standing before the press in her front yard, she showed off the same overhand throwing motion that sent Jayson Werth’s foul ball back to the field.
Her father, Steve Monforto, recalled scooping his daughter up in a hug as fans gasped (then cheered) at her toss.
“As a dad, I’m proud. That was a pretty good throw she had,” Monforto said. “I just wish it was somewhere else.”
Emily and Steve showed off a bit of batting practice for the media's benefit Wednesday afternoon, warming up for their big league debut on the "Today" show Thursday morning.
Emily and her family received Phillies jerseys with their names on them during the interview on the morning show, as well as a baseball signed by Jayson Werth.
Donning her pink Phillies hat and occasionally sucking her thumb, Emily snuggled up to her dad and told Matt Laurer what really brings her to the games:
“Raul Ibanez,” she said.
The left fielder and the food at Citizens Bank Park have the 3-year-old coming back for more.
“I eat hot dogs and cotton candy and peanut,” she said.
When Laurer asked Steve if he was going to give the signed ball to Emily, he said, “I’m going to hold this for myself.”
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First Published: Sep 16, 2009 4:53 PM CST
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