Photo credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Louis Varland and the Blue Jays bullpen supported Alex Vesia through unimaginable tragedy, proving baseball is a true brotherhood.
The World Series is typically a battlefield where friendships disappear and rivalries take center stage. You fight for every single inch of dirt.
Yet a quiet moment of absolute class completely transcended the intense seven-game clash between Toronto and Los Angeles. It was bigger than any pitch thrown.
Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia lost his infant daughter, Sterling Sol, right in the middle of the championship series. He stepped away to grieve with his family.
It is the kind of devastating news that makes the sport feel entirely insignificant. Our hearts break just thinking about their profound loss.
Louis Varland knew about the tragedy because his brother Gus recently spent time pitching for the Dodgers. Word travels fast in this tight-knit community.
Varland immediately told his new teammates they needed to do something meaningful to show their love. The response was unanimous and instantaneous.
The entire Toronto bullpen quietly wrote the number 51 on their caps during Game 6. They wanted to send a message across the diamond.
It was a simple but beautiful tribute to a fierce competitor suffering unimaginable personal pain. Nobody wanted to draw attention to themselves.
The brotherhood shines through the darkest days
Fans are incredibly proud to see our guys put humanity above the pursuit of a World Series trophy. We cheer for good people first and foremost.
Varland is a solid right-hander (4-3, 2.97 ERA) who is relatively new to Toronto, but he clearly understands the bigger picture. Character matters in this city.
He recognized that Vesia, a dominant southpaw (4-2, 3.02 ERA), needed to know the baseball family was standing right beside him. Empathy costs absolutely nothing.
Vesia and his wife Kayla noticed the gesture while watching from home and were overwhelmed with emotion. They felt the embrace of the entire league.
The talented left-hander publicly thanked the Toronto relievers during a very tearful address at spring training. It takes immense strength to speak about that pain.
Hearing that heartfelt appreciation meant absolutely everything to Varland and the rest of the guys. They just wanted to offer a tiny bit of comfort.
Moments like this remind us exactly why we dedicate so much of our lives to this amazing game. The bonds go much deeper than uniform colors.
These players battle like crazy between the white lines, but they protect each other when life hits hard. That is what sportsmanship looks like.
That kind of unwavering character builds the foundation for a resilient clubhouse you can proudly believe in. We are lucky to have guys like this representing us.
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