Baby born in ESPN Zone bathroom

[Kori Ellis]

ESPN.com news services

Talk about your diaper dandies.

A baby was born Thursday at the ESPN Zone in Anaheim, Calif.

Marissa Martinez of Fremont, Calif., was visiting the ESPN Zone when she went into labor and delivered a healthy baby girl, according to Ernie Ritchie, the facility's general manager.

Mother and daughter were taken to the University of California-Irvine Medical Center and are doing fine, according to a hospital spokesperson.

"We're grateful that everyone is OK and the baby is OK," said Ritchie. "It's a blessing."

The ESPN Zone was crowded with visitors Thursday when the baby was born at about 4:10 p.m. Pacific time, Ritchie said.

"I heard about it at 4:15 when one of my staffers came in and said, 'We're having a baby in the arena ladies room.' Paramedics arrived shortly thereafter, and "they wheeled her out on a gurney and off they went to the hospital," he said.

Reached by phone in her hospital room, Martinez admitted that having a baby was the last thing she expected to be doing Thursday.

"We came down for vacation for my son's third birthday," said Martinez. "We went to ESPN Zone to get our game cards … and all of a sudden I felt like a pushing sensation to go to the bathroom, the baby came right after that.

"I guess all that walking at Disneyland did it for me," said Martinez, who shared these other details of her experience:

• The baby will be named Jasmine Mic e, with Mic e being the name of the person who helped with the ladies-room delivery. "I don't even know their last name," Martinez said.
• The baby wasn't expected "until the beginning of June," and weighed "between three and four pounds."
• As of late Thursday evening, she hadn't seen her child "except in the ambulance."

Little Jasmine Mic e doesn't know it yet, but she's going to be receiving a basket of goodies from the ESPN Zone, including an infant-sized T-shirt that reads: "I Watch ESPN With My Mommy."

With a beginning like this, there's no doubt she'll grow up to be a PTP'er, baby!

[baseline bum]

Did they make the kid buy $40 in food and drinks per hour too?