Mom who carried baby and food at MLB game as husband ignored her defends him amid fierce backlash

A mom was urged to divorce her husband after a clip of him appearing to ignore her as she carried their baby and a surplus of food at an MLB game went viral.

Now, she has spoken out about the incident, defending her husband amid the fierce backlash.

Erika Alvarez was at a San Francisco Giants game against the Minnesota Twins on September 22 with her husband, Ramses, and daughter, Anastasia, when she stepped away to get food and was caught by the cameras arriving back to her seat.

But when she was seen juggling the youngster and multiple cartons of food as Ramses failed to help her, the clip sparked immense scrutiny.

Footage showed Erika holding Anastasia in a carrier around her chest as well as three trays in her hands as she squeezed past people in her row to get to her chair.

Her husband seemed not to notice her return at first, as he was staring at his phone.

When he finally looked up and saw her, it appeared as though he didn’t try to help or offer to take anything from her. Instead, he stood up and moved a blanket from her seat so she could sit.

Announcers Mike Krukow and Duane Kuiper discussed the moment, with Krukow stating: ‘If there’s ever a true definition of a multitasking mother that is the deal right there. I think she’s an Olympic champion.’

He then went on to make fun of Ramses, theorizing that all he had to say was: ‘Did you bring the ketchup?’ 

‘That’s mom of the year right there,’ Kuiper chimed in, as Krukow added: ‘She’ll be the last one to eat, too. Bless her heart.’

The clip went viral after it was shared on X, formerly Twitter, by the popular account Barstool Sports.

While many viewers praised Erika, it also led to fierce backlash for Ramses.

Now, Erika has spoken out about the incident in a lengthy post shared to Substack.

‘Millions of people have watched me carry my daughter and food back to my seat at a San Francisco Giants game,’ she wrote. 

‘They have praised me as “mom of the year” and called my husband too many names to list. Some have sent me DMs or posted TikTok commentary videos about why I need to leave him.

‘Before you decide what our marriage looks like, I would like you to hear from the woman you’re defending.’ 

She went on to praise Ramses as an ‘amazing husband and an even better father.’ 

‘We’ve been part of each other’s lives for nine years, and today we’re raising two under two together,’ she continued. 

‘I know how he treats me, how he cares for our kids, and what he does for our family.’

Erika said that they ‘initially thought the broadcast was funny,’ but added that ‘as the clip spread’ online, the reaction became incredibly disheartening.

‘Kruk and Kuip are broadcasting legends, and part of their charm is the way they tell stories about people at the ballpark,’ she said. 

‘That night, they noticed me returning with Anastasia … and my hands full of food. They supplied dialogue, joked about Ramses and dubbed me “mom of the year.”

‘Friends and family started calling and texting us immediately. We laughed at the narration because anyone who knows our family knows how ridiculous it is to suggest that Ramses never helps with our kids. 

‘But as the clip spread, people on the internet treated the announcers’ imaginary narration as evidence of our unequal relationship.’

She explained that she had initially left the seats to use the bathroom, and while Ramses offered to take Anastasia ‘off her hands,’ she preferred that the baby come with her so she could stay warm.

‘San Francisco night games get chilly, and we call her our little “hot pocket” because her body heat keeps you warm in the carrier. I also figured I might as well change her diaper while I was up,’ she explained.

On the way back she decided to get food ‘since she was passing’ the stand and texted Ramses to ask what he wanted.

‘I returned with [our food]. He moved my jacket to clear my seat, greeted our smiling daughter and asked whether I wanted to eat first,’ she said. 

‘In the video, you can see my head turn to him and speak. I told him to go ahead [and eat]. I had eaten before we left for the game, and I knew he hadn’t had a full meal all day.

‘He offered to take the containers off my lap, but I told him I was fine holding my food and the nachos we would share later. Keeping them on my lap kept them off the dirty stadium floor. Finally, before even taking a bite himself, he offered to hand feed me and share his sandwich. I told him to enjoy. Then he ate, as I had told him to.’

She added: ‘There was no argument about ketchup. He didn’t tell me I forgot anything. 

‘I understand how it looked on television. But we could hear each other. The announcers and audience couldn’t.’ 

Erika went on to reveal that Ramses was currently mourning the death of ‘one of his oldest friends,’ a former baseball player, adding that they had attended the game that night ‘as a way to remember him.’ 

‘There have been many times when I needed time to myself and Ramses took care of our children,’ she vowed.

‘At bedtime, he puts our son to sleep while I put Anastasia to sleep. We both change diapers, attend medical appointments, read and play with our kids. Our marriage has room for either of us to need help. 

‘That evening, I chose to take care of him. A camera catching me doing something for my husband doesn’t show all the times he has done something for me. 

‘We talk about mothers’ mental health and the importance of supporting women. Those conversations should be important to everyone. I also think fathers deserve that same care and consideration.’

She slammed social media for being ‘quick to vilify people’ and ‘filling in what they couldn’t see with assumptions,’ adding that in the aftermath both she and Ramses received messages that were ‘deeply disturbing.’ 

‘If our viral moment contributes anything to the ongoing cultural conversation about how we judge what we see online, I hope it reminds us to be more comfortable saying, “I don’t know the whole story,”‘ she concluded. 

‘The benefit of the doubt is more than an expression. It is a life philosophy that asks us to be curious before we are certain, to leave room for an explanation, and to remember that the person on our screen has a life beyond the moment we are watching. 

‘To the people who insulted Ramses, please remember that our children may someday read your words or watch your videos. 

‘I don’t want them to search for this memory and find strangers calling their dad a deadbeat. Those are untrue judgments to leave behind about someone you have never met.’