Former Major League Baseball outfielder Eric Byrnes has recounted an incident from his playing days where a bat boy impersonated him, a story that has resurfaced amid allegations of a man defrauding women by posing as a San Francisco 49ers player.
Byrnes shared the anecdote on his podcast, "Deuces Wild," describing how a former Oakland Athletics bat boy used an official team cap and his mother's Cadillac Escalade to deceive two women into believing he was the MLB star. The bat boy reportedly used the misunderstanding to pursue a sexual encounter with one of the women, who believed she was with Byrnes.
"The girls are like, ‘Eric Byrnes! Eric Byrnes!’ and he’s like, ‘Yeah, what’s up?’" Byrnes recalled. "He ends up getting his knob polished. I’m not kidding. The whole time, this chick thinks it’s f—ing me."
When the bat boy later confessed to Byrnes, the former player admonished him but ultimately let him off with a warning. "He told me, and I’m like, ‘Bro, no! What the f—, you can’t do that,’" Byrnes said. "And sure enough, we made an agreement: nice work, congratulations, don’t ever f—ing do it again."
Byrnes' recollection contrasts with a more recent and elaborate alleged scheme. Social media influencer Daejon Love was reportedly indicted in federal court for an alleged $1.3 million romance fraud. Investigators claim Love used forged banking applications, custom merchandise, and staged videos to deceive at least 26 women into believing he was an NFL player for the San Francisco 49ers.
The case against Love is proceeding in federal court, where he must now account for his alleged false NFL career. This situation represents a significant escalation from the bat boy's impersonation, involving a larger alleged financial scheme and a greater number of alleged victims. IMAGE3
The Associated Press contributed to this report.