‘Boomer and Gio’ defend Braves reporter getting fan’s number: ‘This isn’t like Harvey Weinstein here’

Atlanta Braves field reporter Wiley Ballard has a phone number from Lauren, and he has supporters in WFAN’s Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti.

Monday night, Ballard was in the stands for a broadcast segment called “The Field Report,” where he interviewed two women attending the Braves-Blue Jays game in Toronto. As the segment came to a close, play-by-play voice Brandon Gaudin said, “Okay, Wiley, you got four innings to get the numbers.”

Ballard relayed that message to one of the women (Lauren), saying, “Alright, they want me to get you number.” It prompted a lighthearted back and forth which ultimately resulted in Lauren taking Ballard’s phone to type in her number.

While the Braves were trying to score runs, their sideline reporter was out here scoring digits.pic.twitter.com/Zdt1CdNc3g

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 15, 2025

In response to what was undoubtedly a unique on-air moment for a Major League Baseball broadcast, social media has been divided, with some enjoying the exchange, while others have went so far as to label the incident a form of harassment. Many female sports media members criticized the actions as being indicative of a double standard in the industry and imagining the reaction if a woman had been in Ballard’s shoes.

Tuesday morning on WFAN, Boomer Esiason and Gregg Giannotti were quick to defend the reporter.

“Back in the day you’d have to ask for a number, right? I mean, nowadays you just got to go on Tinder to get spanked…he’s doing it old school!” – Boomer Esiason on Braves reporter Wiley Ballard getting a fan’s number pic.twitter.com/WjIiLYKWxj

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) April 15, 2025

“It was goofy! I mean, this isn’t like Harvey Weinstein here,” Giannotti said. “He’s a reporter. These are young single girls at the game. They’re laughing. I mean, is he threatening them in any way? What are people talking about?”

“Back in the day, you’d have to ask for a number, right. Nowadays, you just got to go on Tinder to get spanked,” Esiason chimed in, much to the surprise of Giannotti and Jerry Recco. “He’s doing it old school!”

Gregg Giannotti questioned why some people have an issue with the Braves reporter getting a woman’s phone number while working on live TV.

“What is their point?” he asked. “That he’s using some sort of power over these women to make them give the number cause he’s on television and that’s not right?”

Part of the reason the exchange was viewed as innocent and funny by many is because the woman played along and reacted kindly to the request. But that shouldn’t be expected or assumed of the fan.

Many women sports reporters and journalists, however, were uncomfortable with the bit, questioning how the act would have been perceived if the roles were reversed. Some believed a woman’s career could have been ruined if they asked a male fan for their number on live TV.

“I thought it was innocent. I thought it was funny. I thought that the way the girls reacted was funny,” Esiason said.

Field reporters are often put in strange situations, like dressing up as the Minnesota Vikings quarterback or competing in the Sausage Race. This one may have similarly been intended to be harmless, but based on social media’s reaction, not everyone saw it that way.