Brent Rooker Claps Back at Fan Questioning Why He Fed His Baby During Home Run Derby

This MLB fan had one of the worst takes of all time.
Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning against Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Didier Fuentes at Sutter Health Park.
Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker runs the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning against Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Didier Fuentes at Sutter Health Park. / Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images
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Some sports fans could certainly use a pacifier from time to time.

After the Athletics' Brent Rooker was shown on ESPN's broadcast of the 2025 Home Run Derby feeding his baby daughter with a bottle, one fan on social media audaciously questioned why Rooker was being a good father. Rooker and his wife share two daughters, 11-month-old Blake and 3-year-old Blair. He was minding his own business feeding Blake on the sidelines toward the end of the Derby when one fan appeared to criticize the A's slugger for his paternal instincts.

"Did you really need to feed your baby on camera?" the fan wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter). "Sometimes people just want to see you play."

"Yes, it was necessary to feed my 11 month old child her night time bottle at like 9:00 pm. Thank you for asking," Rooker replied matter-of-factly.

God forbid baseball fans take a break from the dingers and watch a few seconds of a dad feeding his daughter at a historically family-friendly event like the Derby.

Rooker was eliminated by the finest of margins in the first round with 17 home runs, but he stayed gracious in defeat and no doubt gained a few new fans with his viral baby-feeding moment and perfectly petty clap-back afterward.


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Kristen Wong
KRISTEN WONG

Kristen Wong is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. She has been a sports journalist since 2020. Before joining SI in November 2023, Wong covered four NFL teams as an associate editor with the FanSided NFL Network and worked as a staff writer for the brand’s flagship site. Outside of work, she has dreams of running her own sporty dive bar.