Great catch!
The dad was not irresponsible because he knew what he was doing and had the talent to do it.
I was at a baseball game here at the University of Florida where a dad a couple of rows behind me tried to catch a very high pop foul ball while his wife held their son next to him, it went through his hands and hit his toddler son on the thigh. The kid screamed and just about everyone got on him about letting his son get hurt. The guy was a clutz as I watched him try, he had no idea how to catch it or how hard it would hit his hands as it went through them. He did slow it down a bunch though.
But in his defense what do you do in that split second. How do you protect youself or your loved one except trying to deflect it or catch it with your hands. The guy tried and did not just let it hit them.
Mikey