Livan Hernandez Mocks Rays Ballboy: Braves Pitcher Throws Sunflower Seeds After Error (VIDEO)

Braves reliever Livan Hernandez welcomes a Tampa Bay Rays ballboy to the majors with a shower of sunflower seeds after witnessing him miss a ground ball.

For many young baseball fans, being a ballboy -- having the opportunity to suit up with the club, rub elbows with the pros, the chance to make a highlight catch -- is a dream come true. At least, until the players starting making fun of you for not making a play.

After a Tampa Rays ballboy missed a routine grounder near the visitor's bullpen up the third-base line, Braves pitcher Livan Hernandez just couldn't help but give the kid a hard time. The error unleashed a hail of sunflower seeds and some ribbing from the reliever.

WATCH VIDEO ABOVE

That Hernandez appears to offer the young man a high five suggests that perhaps the hurling of the sunflower seeds was all in good fun. Of course, the ballboy's refusal of the high five leaves open the possibility that he didn't feel the same way.

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Comments

[butchcliff]

06:46 AM on 05/28/2012

Bullies of mlb.

[rigmoten]

05:33 PM on 05/27/2012

The best part is leaving that guy hanging.

[Clay Cullum]

09:26 PM on 05/25/2012

I just thought they were treating him like one of their own. You could tell the ball player was just mockingly throwing the seeds in good fun.

[Denmark Vesey]

02:14 PM on 05/24/2012

When ever myself , baseball teammate or opponant would get struck in the body or head by a muffed catch, all the other players on the team would yell " BEAT HIM UP BALL, BEAT HIM UP"! It was just a way to help another player laugh off an error,ebarrassment or the pain.

[Danielle De Vries]

02:15 PM on 05/23/2012

My best friend is now famous for missing a ball on TV! Lol

[Shikamaru]

08:58 AM on 05/24/2012

haha awesome... tell him there's nothing like a dose of humility to help him grow. Take it in stride, it's not the end of the world.

[Danielle De Vries]

07:02 PM on 05/24/2012

He's fine. He knows its all in good fun.

[Oni]

01:40 AM on 05/25/2012

he'll be alright.

[GWBear]

03:17 AM on 05/23/2012

Classless! Major sports star makes fun of kid in public, and it's cool?! The kid laughed because he had to under the circumstances, but I'll bet he didn't feel good about it!!

[emrogers]

07:48 AM on 05/23/2012

Are you a guy? That's what guys do and that's what guys like. C'mon - it was funny. They were making the kid "one of the guys". Sheesh...

[Spartan112]

08:54 AM on 05/23/2012

Did you see the kid smiling? I'm guessing there was quite a bit of banter between them prior to this moment. Chill.

[kiddub]

01:33 AM on 05/23/2012

This is the equivalent of "boooing" your friend after a minor error on the big stage. Think razzing your friend after a terrible relationship, or failed attempt to pick up a girl. It's harmless fun.

[c2morow]

06:39 PM on 05/22/2012

This is the way sports are. If I had a dime for everytime my coach or teammates ridiculed me for a mistake, I would be a 1%. The kid had not problem with it. In fact, he will make a point of trying to not let it happen again. However, he feels more part of the team now, I guarantee it. When your other teammates see your mistikes and call you on it, it only makes the team grow stronger. This is not youth soccer or T-Ball where everyone gets a trophy, regardless of whether they won or not.

[PirateJohn]

04:49 PM on 05/22/2012

Come on, people, lighten up. You can even see the kid laughing it off as he goes to sit down. One of the ways you know you're accepted in a group is when they make good-natured ribbing like that. When people stop kidding around with you for making silly blunders is when you know they no longer accept you.

[battlinbob]

04:25 PM on 05/22/2012

They were playing around.. I am sure the kid appreciated that more than anything. I would have.

[Chad Baker21]

04:00 PM on 05/22/2012

We are becoming a nation of wusses. I coach baseball and there are many kids and parents who just can't deal with their kids receiving constructive criticism, no matter how it's offered. Sometimes, a kid is playing the game the wrong way; not hustling, not paying attention, or showing a poor attitude. Sometimes I'll yell, "Come on, wake up out there, you guys! Look alive!" Last week after doing that I was told by a parent that I need to stop "yelling" at the children. This happens every year. These people sign their kids up to play a sport, and then when you try to teach them to play the game the right way, you are told you are too mean. I think this is why we have so many obese kids as well. Parents are afraid to hurt their kids feelings by saying, "Get out there and exercise." Or, "Don't eat that garbage." Instead, they put the child's "self-esteem" ahead of the child's actual physical health, and then they end up with an obese child who feels great about himself because mommy told him how special he is. Unfortunately, the kid will be a diabetic by the age of 20. Kids are tough, and they are smart. And guess what, they can take a joke, and they can handle constructive criticism. Sometimes, parents just need to let go, get out of the way, and allow their kids to reach their potential, even if it hurts.

[battlinbob]

04:24 PM on 05/22/2012

Didnt you get the memo? The left / PC constituency have been emasculating American youth for the last 30 years...

[Chad Baker21]

04:46 PM on 05/22/2012

No, that's not it. I'm as left wing as they come, and I coach in a very conservative area, so it stands to reason that this is an issue that has no party affiliation.

[J0E1]

03:48 PM on 05/22/2012

Kid should sue for assault and mental anguish.

[beasteben]

10:35 AM on 05/23/2012

No he shouldn't.

[gongoozles]

03:12 PM on 05/22/2012

that's great! love livo- miss him in d.c.

[lisaman]

03:43 PM on 05/22/2012

bullying is great. Says as much about you as his behavior does about him.

[gongoozles]

04:05 PM on 05/22/2012

he's obviously just playing with the kid

[iuriggs6]

04:55 PM on 05/22/2012

What bullying?

[Frank Bourne]

03:11 PM on 05/22/2012

The kid should've picked up the ball and spiked it in his face.

[lisaman]

03:43 PM on 05/22/2012

The truth does hurt! And so would that ball but at least he would have deserved it.

[kiddub]

01:23 AM on 05/23/2012

Violent revenge is okay, bullying not. Gotcha.

[atretrioeciii]

02:59 PM on 05/22/2012

I don't think that this was a very good idea, the baseball gods can be a very fickle bunch.

This is the kind of stuff that comes back to haunt you. The fact that it was a child is especially troubling.

Hopefully LH will just lose his keys or something.

[Danielle De Vries]

02:20 PM on 05/23/2012

He's actually 20. He's just short for his age. Lol