Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
THE BALLPARK — It must be magical to see all your kid's dreams come true.
It certainly looked magical for Todd Kerering as he watched his son make his Major League Baseball debut as a relief pitcher for the Phillies.
Orion Kerkering took the mound on Sept. 24, throwing out his first pitch while his very proud dad sat in the bleachers. Kerkering's first pitch? His signature slider, which "could be one of the best breaking balls in baseball," according to ESPN writer Todd Zolecki.
According to the MLB, "Kerkering's sweeping slider averaged 87.4 mph with 16.5 inches of horizontal break in his debut." From what I can tell as a non-sports person, that's a spicy meatball.
With those stats, Kerkering struck out two Mets players while his dad cheered and cried openly. And who can blame him? It's easy to imagine him raising his son, nurturing his talent, giving him what he needed to pursue his dreams as many parents have done before him. To see it all come together at the start of an MLB career has to be overwhelming to say the least.
It's a beautiful, tender moment that breaks the boundaries of sports to make the whole world feel warm and fuzzy.
Kerkering's star has risen quickly through the minors: "The pitch helped him move from Single-A Clearwater to High-A Jersey Shore to Double-A Reading to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to the big leagues in less than six months," Zolecki wrote.
By all accounts, his future looks bright.
On a personal note, I hope Kerkering's star keeps rising because I want to see more clips of his proud dad cheering him on with obvious joy and love.
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