A perfect example of humanity still being alive and well in the world of sports.
On Sunday, the son of one of Boston’s biggest prizes of the offseason gave Red Sox fans a viral moment that was a nice reminder of why spring training is an amazing experience for families who love the game of baseball.
Here’s what Nick Diamond Media posted on X:
“Sonny Gray’s son went and retrieved a few autographs for a group of Cincinnati Reds fans—an awesome gesture for this group of kids”
As a tweet alone, that would be enough to warm the heart. But here’s the video from Nick, which makes the little tidbit from Sunday all the more wholesome:
With Gray having spent three seasons with the Reds from 2019 to 2021, there’s still some obvious fan interest for Cincinnati fans who may be in Fort Myers to watch spring training baseball of other clubs - the Reds have played in the Arizona Cactus League since 2010.
While originally viewed by Red Sox fans as a “OK, now what?”-type of pickup during the early part of the hot stove season, Gray’s role within the Red Sox rotation has been further solidified after the team’s addition of Ranger Suarez.
When he was going to be the team’s No. 2 starter behind Garrett Crochet, fans weren’t too keen on the idea.
But as a No. 3? Red Sox Nation is looking ahead to a potential second-consecutive playoff run.
The addition of Suarez being the thing that made Red Sox fans feel good about their plan with the rotation isn’t exactly 100% fair, as Gray was coming in to Boston after having yet another successful season with the Cardinals.
The veteran right-hander brings both experience and durability to the mix as he enters his age-36 season. Across a 13-year career with the Athletics, Yankees, Reds, Twins, and Cardinals, Gray owns a 125-102 record with three All-Star selections and a runner-up finish in American League Cy Young voting back in 2023.
He went 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA for St. Louis last season, and has made at least 28 starts in each of the last three years, underscoring his reliability.
Upon arrival, Gray immediately slotted into a veteran group that also featured Brayan Bello near the top of the rotation. Add in Suarez, and it’s a formidable one through four.
Apr 27, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches against the New York Mets during the first inning at Citi Field. (John Jones/Imagn Images)JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.