Daejon Love case brings back Eric Byrnes’ bizarre story of an A’s bat boy impersonation
Byrnes recalled how an A’s bat boy took advantage of mistaken identity long before social media made athlete impersonations easier to expose
A bizarre story from Eric Byrnes’ Oakland Athletics playing days has resurfaced amid the much more serious allegations involving Daejon Love , the man accused of pretending to be a San Francisco 49ers player.
Byrnes recently recalled the unusual incident on his “Deuces Wild” podcast while discussing the case involving Love , who federal prosecutors say posed as an NFL player as part of an alleged romance and investment fraud scheme.
According to Byrnes , a former A’s bat boy once took advantage of a case of mistaken identity after leaving the ballpark. The bat boy was reportedly driving his mother’s Cadillac Escalade and wearing an official Oakland team cap when two women spotted him at a traffic light.
The women apparently believed they’d recognized Byrnes and called out his name. Instead of correcting them, the bat boy went along with the assumption.
Byrnes said the conversation continued as the vehicles traveled along the freeway. The bat boy eventually told the women to pull over, and one of them entered his vehicle. She apparently continued to believe she was spending time with the professional baseball player.
The former outfielder said the bat boy later told A’s equipment manager Steve Vucinich about what had happened. That confession eventually made its way back to Byrnes , who confronted him.
"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."
The modern impersonation case is far more serious
Federal prosecutors allege Love spent years creating a false identity, frequently presenting himself as a wealthy NFL player with the 49ers or as a successful real estate investor.
Investigators say he met many of the women through dating platforms and convinced them they were involved in genuine romantic relationships.
According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Love and alleged co-conspirator Taylor Jamie Chan created fake investment opportunities and used fabricated banking and investment accounts to make the scheme appear legitimate.
Some women were allegedly encouraged to send money directly, while others were told to borrow funds for investments that didn’t actually exist.
Authorities say 26 victims have been identified and that Love and Chan received roughly $1.3 million. The FBI believes there could be additional victims. Both men were arrested in Idaho on August 24, 2026, and face federal wire-fraud-related charges.
Love allegedly reinforced his fake football career through social media and other imagery, making the deception considerably more elaborate than the old Byrnes story.
The federal charges remain allegations, and Love and Chan are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
