Last Sunday, nine-year-old Derek Lendosky was killed in a tragic accident. On Friday, Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista dedicated a game in his honor.
Lendosky was just three days short of his 10th birthday when he was killed after falling off a UTV being towed by a tractor in Fennimore, Wis. Bautista learned of what happened and communicated with the young boy’s father via Twitter that he would dedicate Friday’s game to his son.
With an entire town watching, things looked bleak for Bautista and the Blue Jays as the Oakland Athletics stormed out to a 14-3 lead with Josh Reddick leading the way with three home runs.
But in the bottom of the eighth inning, Bautista, who was 1-for-3 on the night, belted an offering deep to left field for his 26th home run of the season.
No question that Derek’s father and the entire township of Fennimore were smiling despite the overwhelming grief they’ve been feeling.
Bautista‘s act of kindness and his selfless act of reaching out to a community in grief was another example of an athlete understanding the kind of impact he can have on the lives of his fans.
On Tuesday, Joshua Jones, the young man afflicted by brain cancer who was befriended by Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Matt Kemp, sadly passed away.
Kemp went above and beyond in giving Joshua some precious memories before his passing.
For Bautista, he never had the pleasure of meeting Derek Lendosky. But it didn’t stop him from reaching out and doing what he could to ease his family’s pain and that of an entire community.
Doug Mead is a featured columnist with Bleacher Report. His work has been featured in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, SF Gate, CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Times and the Houston Chronicle.
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