Little Leaguer provides memorable moment during mom's cancer battle
The Little League World Series is in full swing this weekend and there have already been some very memorable moments.
None have been greater though than the scene that played out during Friday’s U.S. bracket battle between the kids from Johnston, Iowa and Chula Vista, Calif.
As always, the tournament is receiving national coverage from ESPN. That means the players and the families of the players are given a unique opportunity to share their stories, which are often inspiring on a entirely different level than the game itself.
[Join a Yahoo Daily Fantasy Baseball contest now]
Among those stories this is Jen Garcia. She’s the mother of Iowa star player JT Garcia, and we learned on Friday that she’s currently battling pancreatic cancer. That hasn’t stopped her from following her son and his teammates to Williamsport as they chased their Little League World Series dream. That alone is very inspiring and worthy of acknowledgment.
However, the story quickly took a heart-warming turn. As Jen Garcia was being interviewer by ESPN’s Jaymee Sire during Friday’s game, JT stepped up to the plate and delivered a home run that brought her and the entire Iowa cheering section to its collective feet.
You will not see a greater moment than that.
It’s also noted that Garcia’s teammates have been very supportive of his family. Before every game they wear the same purple wristband Jen Garcia wears throughout each of their games. It’s a pretty cool connection, and a reminder that the togetherness these young men and their families are sharing is far more important than any game result.
With that in mind, Iowa did go on to win the game 4-1. They’ll meet Bowling Green, Kent. in the winner’s bracket Sunday at 7:00 p.m. ET.
More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:
The StewPod: A baseball podcast by Yahoo Sports
Subscribe via iTunes or via RSS feed
– – – – – – –
Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
