Sean Doolittle throws imaginary BP to young A's fan, allows homer
Any kid who grows up loving baseball imagines themselves in the majors at some point. It’s the bottom of the ninth in the World Series. The bases are loaded. You’re called upon to finish off the opposing team.
For most kids, that memory comes when you’re by yourself in the backyard, or when a family member indulges in your childhood delight. Those baseball dreams rarely take place with an actual Major League Baseball player.
That’s precisely what happened to a young Oakland Athletics fan Monday. The kid noticed a couple walking a dog with an A’s bandana, and asked if they would play baseball with him. He had no idea that the man pitching to him was actually a major-league reliever.
This kid liked the A’s bandana. Asked us to play. Had no idea who he was playing with. Sean was charged with the run pic.twitter.com/78qFOcTMa6
— Eireann Dolan (@EireannDolan) July 26, 2016
Well, that ought to make your heart melt.
The major leaguer in the video is A’s reliever Sean Doolittle. Doolittle is currently recovering from a left shoulder issue, which is why he’s not currently with the club in Texas. While the injury is unfortunate, it did lead to this incredible moment.
The footage was captured by Doolittle’s girlfriend Eireann Dolan. Dolan had permission from the kid’s mother to post the footage, and even shared some pictures he took with her phone.
Update: just noticed the little boy took my phone and snapped these pics at some point pic.twitter.com/ZU7aXUi9vL
— Eireann Dolan (@EireannDolan) July 26, 2016
Oh, and the dog, that’s Stella. Stella gets up to some wild hijinks over on Dolan’s Instagram page.
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As for Dolan charging Doolittle with a home run, well, that was a necessary evil. He would be a monster if he struck the kid out, right? You’re just going to have to wear that one, Sean.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
