Army Lieutenant Colonel returns home to surprise his family at Tropicana Field

When 9-year-old Alayna Adams threw out the first pitch before Thursday's game between the Red Sox and Rays, she had no idea that the catcher was a hero -- her hero, specifically.

Unbeknownst to her, the USO brought in her father, Army Lieutenant Colonel William T. Adams, to participate in the first-pitch ceremony after finishing a one-year deployment in Afghanistan.

After tossing the ceremonial offering, Alayna was not prepared for what she saw next. As the catcher removed his mask, she was stunned to see Lt. Colonel Adams staring right back at her and immediately rushed to hug him.

"For a second, I thought that it was a dream," she said.

The USO and Tampa Bay Rays pulled off their surprise perfectly, and the result was an emotional and poignant moment. But how could Lt. Colonel Adams, seeing his daughter just 60 feet away, keep his compsure before the reveal?

"A lot of deep breaths -- like I told my daughter to do -- and it worked out, but I was pretty excited."

-- Dakota Gardner / MLB.com