Atlanta Braves Reporter Slammed After Asking For Women's Number On Live TV

Sideline reporter Wiley Ballard got an attendee's number after his on-air colleagues asked him to do it live during Monday's game with the Toronto Blue Jays.

👉 Click Here to read in detail 👈

An Atlanta Braves sideline reporter is being criticized for asking for a woman’s phone number during Monday’s game with the Toronto Blue Jays.

At one point during the game, Wiley Ballard briefly interviewed two attendees, Lauren and Kayla, who were at the rooftop patio at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

Advertisement

After a few questions, Braves play-by-play announcer Brandon Gaudin joked to Ballard on air that he had “five innings, four innings to get the numbers.”

Ballard relayed that message to the women, and told them that his colleagues said to ask for their numbers.

“They want you to get my number?” she asked, to which Ballard responded, “I’m dead serious. They’re saying in my ear right now,” before telling his colleagues in the booth that she didn’t believe him.

Advertisement

“She didn’t believe me because she thinks you guys are — I’m making this up,” Ballard explained to Gaudin and Braves color commentator C.J. Nitkowski.

He then realized the move might have applications in the future.

“Even if you guys weren’t — I might use that in the future. That’s actually a pretty good move,” he said.

Nitkowski then acknowledged “the best part of this right now is that Wiley could totally be faking it,” and suggested that walking around a ballpark with a microphone and an earpiece “might be the new move.”

Advertisement

“I should’ve thought of this years ago,” said Ballard, who actually got Lauren’s number, as the video below shows.

The segment has since gone viral, and Ballard commented on it on his X page using an image from the scene in “Good Will Hunting” where Matt Damon brags about getting a girl’s phone number.

Advertisement

HuffPost reached out to the Braves for comment, but no one immediately responded.

However, many people on social media weren’t impressed by Ballard’s very public pick-up technique, with some calling it “unprofessional.”

Advertisement

Advertisement

Others pointed out the double standard that would happen if a female reporter did the same thing.

Advertisement

We Don't Work For Billionaires. We Work For You.

Big money interests are running the government — and influencing the news you read. While other outlets are retreating behind paywalls and bending the knee to political pressure, HuffPost is proud to be unbought and unfiltered. Will you help us keep it that way? You can even access our stories ad-free.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again. We won't back down from our mission of providing free, fair news during this critical moment. But we can't do it without you.

For the first time, we're offering an ad-free experience to qualifying contributors who support our fearless journalism. We hope you'll join us.

You've supported HuffPost before, and we'll be honest — we could use your help again. We won't back down from our mission of providing free, fair news during this critical moment. But we can't do it without you.

For the first time, we're offering an ad-free experience to qualifying contributors who support our fearless journalism. We hope you'll join us.

Support HuffPost

Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.

Advertisement

Advertisement

👉 Click Here to read in detail 👈

Miatamil

Listed here the latest Trending News