Astros, Nats Stand Up To Cancer at WS
Alyson Footer
@alysonfooterOne of the most poignant moments of the World Series every year arrives upon the conclusion of the fifth inning of Game 4, when play stops and the entire ballpark pauses to "Stand Up" for fans, friends and loved ones who have been touched in some way by cancer.
As has been a tradition for more than a decade, Major League Baseball, Stand Up to Cancer and Mastercard held the annual SU2C moment, this one taking place Saturday night at Nationals Park, during the Astros' series-evening 8-1 win over the Nationals. Players, umpires, coaches and fans all held up a placard with the name of a loved one affected by cancer in a moment captured live by FOX. The cameras panned over dozens of people from all walks of life pausing with a shared intention: supporting the fight against cancer.
Indians pitcher and Roberto Clemente Award winner Carlos Carrasco, who was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia earlier this year, also participated in the in-game moment.
The placards read "I Stand For," with a blank space for people to write the name of their choice. Astros manager AJ Hinch "stands for" The Gooch family, and especially Cameron Gooch, the 10-year-old Astros fan who died of cancer last year. Cameron, through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, met the team when he became an Astros player for a day, and later, Hinch made a special visit to his fourth-grade class.
"The Gooch family has been on my and [my] family's mind for a long time," Hinch said. "My wife just talked to them the other day. It's at the forefront of our thoughts and prayers as this Astros season means a lot to fans we always need to remember. Cameron was a great young kid, a diehard Astros fan and made an impact in my life and my family's life. Even though he's gone, I wanted to make sure he was remember fondly in a big moment."
Shortstop Carlos Correa also included the names of young Astros fans on his placard: Jalen Garcia and Truman Bohn. Jalen, a 16-year-old from Laredo, Texas, is currently being treated for osteosarcoma at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Correa dedicated a walk-off solo home run to him in Game 2 of the American League Championship Series. Bohn, 4, is also being treated at MD Anderson. Correa visited both last week.
"This is something that is special to me," Correa said. "When I saw we were doing [the SU2C moment] today, the first two persons I thought about were them. I'm pretty sure they're going to be watching the game. They're big fans I want to catch them by surprise."
On the Nationals¡¯ side, pitcher Daniel Hudson's placard bore the name Leighton Accardo, the daughter of former player and current Mets coach Jeremy Accardo. Hudson is a close friend of the family. Outfielder Michael A. Taylor included the name of his grandmother, Pearlman.
"She's just been just a huge part of my life, growing up, she's been in our house and part of my family," Taylor said. "Just a chance to remember her -- she's still living -- but to get a chance to honor her is cool. And at the World Series, yeah, definitely."
MLB and its 30 clubs are the founding donors of SU2C, committing more than $50 million, to date, to SU2C¡¯s innovative cancer research programs.