On Saturday, Wrigley Field was packed with spectators as the Cubs hosted the Brewers in an important game. In the 6th inning, as Seiya Suzuki was about to enter the dugout, a small piece of paper was thrown near him – by a boy wearing an oversized Cubs cap, holding a sign:
“Uncle Suzuki, my dad just passed away… but I still came here because you are the person my dad loves the most!”
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Without a word, Suzuki bent down to pick up the piece of paper, his eyes silent. The game continued, but his heart was pulled away from the field.
After the end of the inning, Suzuki suddenly asked the coach to leave the game. He walked straight to the stands – something no star would do in the middle of an important game.
Suzuki went to the boy, knelt down, took off his glove, and handed him the signed ball:
“Your father will see it from heaven, and I will miss you both every time I play.”
The whole stadium was silent. No more cheers. Only the sound of tears falling down the boy’s cheeks as he hugged his idol.
The story then spread all over social media. From Japan to the US, people did not talk about the home run Suzuki scored in the next game. They talked about “a heart bigger than a swing speed”, about how a star bowed to the small pain of a fan.