Players support girl with special needs who was scolded at baseball game

Eight-year-old Chloe, a superfan of US baseball team the Houston Astros, has watched every game the team has played this season, and she loves nothing more than to cheer for them with her family.

At last weekend’s game, Chloe was excitedly taunting the opposing team by shouting, “Swing batter,” from her seat.

Her mother, Monica Beaver, was filming and taking photos of the game to share with family and friends on Facebook. In one video, Chloe goes from cheering to shutting down, and her mother didn’t realise why until she posted the video on social media.

Just before Chloe starts to cry, another woman scolds her for being too loud, turning around and saying, “Enough.”

“We don’t get to scream and holler at home,” Beaver told local Houston news station KTRK. “It’s one of the things she likes. It’s a way to express her emotions.”

Chloe has a mental health disorder called disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, or DMDD. According to Beaver, Chloe can’t comprehend “emotions greater than that of a [toddler’s] emotions.”

“It just makes daily life a little harder. She has to stop and think what the right emotion is to certain things,” Beaver said.

In posting the video on her Facebook page, Beaver said she wasn’t aware of the interaction at the game between her daughter and the woman.

“I didn’t realise what was said and my daughter wouldn’t tell us. I didn’t even realise I got it on video until after I posted it and someone else told me. Trust me, after realising this morning I was crushed because I obviously should’ve known.”

“[She made me feel] a little bit guilty ’cause I’m annoying and nobody says that to me,” Chloe told KTRK, as her mother, heartbroken, shook her head.

Since Beaver shared the video, thousands of people have reached out to tell Chloe to keep on cheering. “It’s uplifting,” Beaver said. “I’m still in shock.”

One of the people who responded was Astros pitcher Lance McCullers. “Chloe, don’t you EVER stop cheering! I would love for you to cheer us on, as LOUD as you can, during ALDS game 1 in MMP! I would be honored to leave you a ticket!” he tweeted.

First baseman Tyler White tweeted, “…if anyone tells you to stop cheer louder.” And outfielder Josh Reddick piggybacked on his remarks to show his support for the young fan.