Phils provide family with unforgettable day
This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki’s Phillies Beat publication. To learn the total publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it commonly in your inbox.
PHILADELPHIA — Hours earlier than the pomp and circumstance of the Phillies’ extremely anticipated dwelling opener on Friday afternoon, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos had been within the batting cages beneath Citizens Bank Park — however neither was engaged on his personal swing.
Instead, they had been giving impromptu hitting classes to the kids of fallen Temple University police officer Christopher Fitzgerald, who was killed within the line of responsibility on Feb. 18.
Fitzgerald’s 4 kids, alongside along with his spouse, Marissa, and oldsters, Joel and Pauline, had been invited to Friday’s dwelling opener by way of Schwarber’s Neighborhood Heroes program. They had been on the sphere to observe batting observe, when Schwarber and Castellanos led the household down the steps of the house dugout and into the stadium tunnel.
“The time that Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber spent with my grandkids — taking them to the team, working with Nick’s son, Liam — the Phillies didn’t have to do all that,” stated Joel, who spent 17 years with the Philadelphia Police Department. “But they get it.”
Castellanos finally needed to go put together for the sport, but it surely seemingly wasn’t the top of his interplay with the Fitzgerald household. Before leaving, he gave them his spouse’s contact data and informed him to achieve out any time they arrive to a recreation sooner or later.
“It helps them out, but honestly, it helps my family out a lot, too,” stated Castellanos, who added that he hopes 9-year-old Liam has an opportunity to hang around along with his new pals down the highway. “It’s no secret that I’m a very blessed individual — I have two very healthy boys. So, any time we can give back and make other people happy or take away whatever weight or pain they might be feeling at the moment, we’re very happy to do so.”
All of Fitzgerald’s relations had been additionally acknowledged on the sphere in the midst of the third inning. They obtained a standing ovation from the sellout crowd.
“It was awe-inspiring, it was moving,” Joel stated. “It just brought us to tears.”
Christopher was an avid fan of all Philadelphia sports activities, however particularly the Phillies. He even had an old style Phillies brand tattooed on his bicep.
“He would have loved all this,” Pauline stated. “There’s a certain type of happiness today, but also a certain type of sadness, because he’s not here to enjoy it with us.”
And he was alleged to be there to observe the Phillies increase the 2022 NL pennant.
“He said he was going to bring me to a Phillies game this year — this game,” Marisa stated. “So in a way, it feels like he did.”
It was undoubtedly an emotional day for the Fitzgerald household, from seeing their kids (and grandchildren) meet a few of their icons to seeing previous photos of their father, son and husband on the videoboard throughout a standing ovation to Schwarber giving the household a heartfelt handwritten observe.
“Our family will never be able to repay John Middleton and the Buck family for what they’ve done for us today,” Joel stated. “Because they brought some smiles to our faces in the darkest time of our lives.”
