SEATTLE — This story was originally posted on MyNorthwest.com
The Seattle Mariners’ All-Star catcher, Cal Raleigh, hit his 60th home run of the season Wednesday night, etching his name amongst seven other MLB legends to reach the legendary 60-homer milestone.
In an incredible act of kindness, the fan who caught Raleigh’s 60th home run ball—memorabilia that can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars—selflessly handed it to 12-year-old Marcus Ruelos.
“I saw the video of the man who caught it; he didn’t have to do it, but I posted on Facebook that it was a complete, gracious, sincere, random act of kindness,” Galan Ruelos, Marcus’ father, said on “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio.
Mariners fan’s touching gesture on Cal’s historic night
Galan recounted his experience as a father witnessing his son on the receiving end of the incredible moment.
“The stadium already had an electric atmosphere. Each time Cal went to bat, the whole stadium knew something was going to happen,” Galan said. “We were sitting in right field, and after the crack of the bat, we knew it would be a home run. It was almost in slow motion. It ricocheted off three sets of hands, but I later found out it actually bounced off my wife’s head and into the guy’s hand.”
“[Marcus] was overcome with emotion; he started bawling, but I was in shock,” Galan said. “My son whispered to me and said, ‘Dad, because it’s Cal, I want him to have [the ball].’ He was never thinking, are we going to keep it for money? That wasn’t even a thought.”
Galan revealed that after a historic and emotional night out with his family, Marcus still had things to take care of once they got home, and used this experience as a teaching moment.
“He had school the next day, and an hour of homework. We didn’t get home until like midnight,” Galan said. “I told him the lesson, ‘No matter what happens, this is the kind of moment that you should pay forward later in life.’ It was beautiful, and so heartwarming.”
With the hefty price tag associated with memorabilia akin to Cal’s 60th home run ball in mind, the Ruelos’ reaction to receiving the ball was far from financial gain.
“We were never thinking about how much the ball was worth, or the most we could get,” Galan said. “We have the future MVP, hopefully, and [Marcus] touched history, that’s kind of more precious; he’ll live with that forever.”
The generous man who gave a piece of history to Marcus has yet to be named, although Seattle fans have taken to social media looking to reveal his identity and recognize his honorable action.
Listen to Gee and Ursula on “The Gee and Ursula Show” weekday mornings from 9 am to 12 pm on KIRO Newsradio.
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