Jose Bautista Dedicates Game to Memory of Young Fan
@JoeyBats19 On Friday I will be burying my 9yr old son. He will be wearing his Bautista jersey and taking a ball you gave him with him.
— Steve Lendosky (@iamlongball) August 7, 2013
@iamlongball #TeamBautista Teammate of Day is Derek Lendosky.RIP Derek. May your family find strength#JoseBautistaGameForDerek
— Team Bautista (@Team_Bautista) August 9, 2013
Tonight's game is for Derek #GameForDerek #DerekRIPmyfriend http://t.co/v99Ovi5qzW
— Jose Bautista (@JoeyBats19) August 9, 2013
Steve Lendosky lost his nine-year-old son Derek in a tragic UTV accident this month. On Wednesday, Lendosky tweeted at Derek's favorite baseball player, Jose Bautista, writing that his son would be buried wearing his Bautista jersey and with the ball that the slugger had given to him. Bautista discovered the message a day later after the hashtag #JoseBautistaGameForDerek gained momentum on Twitter. "May your family find strength," Bautista tweeted in his response. He then dedicated the game to Derek, going 3-for-5 with a home run.
This story is heartbreaking. But when players do things like this, we are reminded why we are all baseball fans. Thank you, Jose Bautista.
Thoughts and prayers go out to the Lendosky family.