Yesterday, the Houston Astros were eliminated from the MLB post-season, losing 7-2 to the Kansas City Royals in Game 5 of the ALDS. As you can imagine, that’s has to be an awful feeling for a ball player after trekking through 162 regular season games, clinching a wild card spot in a 1-game playoff, and going the entire distance in a playoff series. Just a brutal, heartbreaking way to go out.
But that’s what makes this story even more special. Despite how terrible he must’ve felt seeing his Houston Astros organization fall just short of their first league championship series appearance since 2005 when they were still playing in the National League, bullpen catcher Javier Brackamonte still had the heart to empty his entire gear bag and give its contents away to young Royals fans hanging around in the stands at Kauffman Stadium.
This is what baseball is all about.
Last night Javier Brackamonte #85, a Houston Astros bullpen catcher showed an unbelievable act of class and…
Posted by David Dahmer on Thursday, October 15, 2015
And it’s awesome that David Dahmer was there to document it in such a fashion, because is the kind of thing that makes the game of baseball so special. Regardless of who they were rooting for, even if they were clad in Royals colors, Brackamonte had no problem spending the time to give them a little piece of history, knowing full-well it would surely make their night. That kind of selflessness is something that deserves endless commendation and it’s spectacular for the game, too.
Dahmer later updated his Facebook to indicate Javier Brackamonte had even taken the time to reach out to him after the post started making the rounds earlier today.
That right there. That’s what makes MLB baseball awesome. Because at the end of the day, it’s just a bunch of grown-men, running around on a field, playing a child’s game.
[h/t Deadspin]