Thank you very much BJ Upton. The dynamic centerfielder for the Tampa Bay Rays made my daughter one very happy girl last week. My family is big Rays family, and we manage to get to a good amount of games each season. We love sitting out in the leftfield so we can have a great view of the game as it unfolds in front of us and because we are close to BJ (my daughter’s, 6 and 2) favorite player.
After warming-up before the 1st and 9th innings, BJ throws the ball into the outfield stands just before the start of the innning. After a few seasons of not catching a ball, my daughter was ready to try something different to see if she could catch one of the “warm up” balls. Late last season she decided she would make some posters to hold up for BJ, each inning when he took the field and when he was at bat. She also has to pet and feed the rays, play on the playgrounds, color and other important baseball activities at each game, so she misses a few opportunities to celebrate her favorite player. We started taking the signs late last season and now to all our games this year.
I think he remembered the signs and the little girls who were holding them as they screamed and cheered, because he threw the ball our direction a few times over the last few games. Finally last week we were able to catch one among the crowd. My 6 year old daughter took the ball into Kindergarten for show and tell the next morning and now it sits in her room, a prize from her favorite player.
BJ, thank you very much; you have a big cheering crowd in section 147 and you made my daughter’s night!
–Craig Most–
