If you’re a baseball fan, there’s a good chance your love for the game started early. From trading baseball cards to watching your favorite players on TV – it’s a passion that many people take seriously, and carry with them from childhood through adulthood.
For one young baseball fan, his dream was to get a real baseball from a Phillies game.
Aaron Presley went viral when he got his hands on a foul ball. There are certain spots around the stadium that are great for getting foul balls, and Aaron happened to be in the right spot at the right time to snag one!
The 10-year-old is a MAJOR fan and couldn’t hold back his excitement.
“I’m following the ball. It hit the ground. So I went to go grab it. It was just exciting,” Pressley told CNN Newsource.
It’s not every day that a kid is able to outmuscle the adults around him who are hoping to get a ball! Thankfully, he was able to slip in when it hit the stands and grab it before anyone else could. It was a cool moment for Aaron, but it wasn’t the reason he was all over the news for the next few days.
Bringing home a baseball is something to talk about, but what happened next was even better.
After catching the ball, Aaron turned and saw little Emma Brady. Emma had also been trying to get the foul ball but with her size, she was struggling. Aaron was “too quick”, as Emma explained. She did her best to reach for the ball but she was just a second or two too late.ADVERTISEMENT
Emma even ended up diving for it, but hurt her leg in the process.
“I look over and I see the girl. She’s crying,” said Pressley.
As you can imagine, Emma couldn’t hold in her tears. The hurt leg and losing the prospects of getting a ball that day were all too much for her to handle! That is, until Aaron stepped in.
Aaron saw Emma crying and went over to check on her.
“I was just like it just didn’t feel right, having the ball of knowing that somebody’s crying. So, I had to just give it to her,” said Pressley.
Instead of keeping the prize for himself, Aaron decided to do the chivalrous thing – give the ball to the little girl! Even more, the entire thing was captured on the big screens and everyone in the stadium got to see the act of kindness.
It was absolutely adorable and the crowd cheered as Emma stopped crying.
“He came right over without hesitation. He saw her, for a moment, without even thinking he just turned and handed her the ball. It was the sweetest thing,” said Emma’s dad.
The best part? Aaron’s kindness paid off! He didn’t do it with the expectation of being repaid, but it ended up working in his favor. The Phillies found out where Aaron lived and sent him his very own baseball and gift card to use the next time he was at the stadium!
Kindness is important and can come full circle – even at a baseball game.
Aaron showed the world what he valued:
“Be nice to people because not a lot of people in this world are nice,” Pressley said.
