Most kids dream about meeting a famous person. Just shaking their hand or snapping a quick pic is about the most kids get, but our kids got the experience of a lifetime tonight. They not only got to meet Aledmys Diaz, but they each got to play catch with him and then each got a turn hitting off him as part of the Rainbows for Kids charity event. He spent a full couple hours with the kids, playing with them, taking to them, and then handing each of them a trophy at the end of the night. They were in heaven. He was so good with the kids too and had such fun with it, throwing bald at Fredbird and making certain each kid got a hit.
All three of ours for a hit off him, and before any got to three strikes, which was great. Conner by far was the star, though, as first overhand pitch thrown at him, Conner responded with a home run that hit off the top of the bleachers and had Diaz cranking his neck. When Conner waked up to him later, Diaz said, "oh, you are the little home run hitter!" He wasn't expecting that from a five year old.
Gavin also surprised Diaz. He walked up to bat, and they had to position him on the plate, as he wanted to stand on top of it instead of to the side. So, Diaz wasn't expecting much out of this little three year old. Gavin proved him wrong, though, by swinging hard at the second pitch and hitting it straight back to Diaz. I just imagined it hitting and him getting injured trying to jump out of the way and being forever in trouble with the Cards organization. Luckily, that didn't play out.
Alexis had a nice hit as well, but she got her hay day earlier in the week when she made the newspaper's feature story about the event. She also loved when she tried to run from third to the bench and Fredbird took her back out to run to touch the homeplate.
Such a great game and experience for the kids. So blessed to have had the opportunity and to have met such a incredibly giving athlete.
