Baseball legend has it that Babe Ruth once promised a sick child he’d hit a home run for him. The Babe kept his promise in the very next game. Fast forward to 2011, when Casey McGehee of the Milwaukee Brewers pulled a similar feat – but in triplicate.
Just this week, McGehee, an infielder who played college ball at Fresno State, met before game time with 7-year old Clayton Wollner of Sussex, Wisconsin. Clayton loves baseball but is sidelined this summer with craniosynostosis, a condition that affects his cranium from growing properly. Clayton’s had seven surgeries already – with more to follow. McGehee wanted to meet the youngster because his own son Mack was born with cerebral palsy.
Clayton was shy upon meeting his hero at the ballpark – saying virtually nothing. So Clayton’s mom boldly asked the Brewers slugger to hit a home run for Clayton. McGehee then proceeded to a hit a two-run homer off Edwin Jackson of the Cardinals in the first inning. Then he homered again for a two-run blast off Jackson in the third inning. But McGehee wasn’t done yet – he hit the trifecta with a solo blast in the seventh to lead the Brewers to victory over the Cardinals 10-5.
McGehee told reporters it was an “out of body experience”. Clayton’s mom Jennifer Wollner didn’t know that McGehee was in a bit of a slump (only 1 HR since July 6) when she made her home run request. “When he hit the first home run we were like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is so fun!’ When it got to three, we were kind of speechless,” Wollner said.
As one fan noted – it just goes to show how two “struggling guys really helped each other out.” For pictures of the magical meeting with Casey McGehee, check out this link:
