Fan Crushed After Howard's 200th Homer

Miami, FL - A kiddie controversy surrounds a historic home run hit by Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard.

The fan that caught it and what happened next has her vowing to never watch the Phillies again.

The home run in question was Howard's 200th career shot. It's a milestone he reached faster - that is to say, in fewer games - than any other player in Major League Baseball history, reported Fox 29's Bruce Gordon. The question now is what's that ball worth to the lucky Florida fan who caught it.

When Howard crushed the fateful home run last Thursday night against the Florida Marlins in Miami, it was clear something memorable had happened.

The ball was caught by 12-year-old Jennifer Valdivia. She says she was quickly approached by stadium security guards who escorted her to the Phillies locker room, where, she says, a team official asked her -

"'Could we have the ball? We'll give you something back, anything,'" recounts Valdivia. "I'm like, 'Okay, can I have a baseball signed by Ryan Howard?'"

Jennifer received the autographed ball after the game, but not the face-to-face meeting with Howard she believes she had been promised.

"They lied to me and I was like really sad that I couldn’t meet Ryan Howard,” Valdivia tells Fox  29.

"And it was a dream to come alive. And I'm very upset about it cause they took her like a fool, just lying to her," says Delfa Vanegas, the girl's mother.

Howard and the Phillies, who were back at home Wednesday, say the little girl asked for an autographed ball and nothing more. They say she seemed happy when given the ball.

But when we approached them with Jennifer's complaint, they responded quickly.

"Because there appears to have been a simple misunderstanding, we're gonna be very happy to make Ryan Howard available to the young girl who caught his home run ball when the team goes back to Florida in September,” says Phillies spokesman Scott Palmer.

At first, Jennifer said she wanted an apology and the original home run ball back for all of this trouble.

It's not clear what her reaction will be to this offer from the Phillies. We have not been able to reach her yet. We do know the Phils are back in Miami on September 21, 22 and 23.

We'll see how this all plays out.