Carlos Santana has a past of being a more than capable slugger throughout his MLB career. He has been solid all-around for the Philadelphia Phillies this season, but his biggest home run of all may very well have happened on Saturday afternoon against the Miami Marlins.
For those who have not heard the name Anthony Garcia just yet, he is a 13-year-old leukemia patient who was at the game on Saturday. He met Santana and the Phillies’ catcher made the young man a bold promise. Santana promised Garcia that he would hit a home run for him during the game.
Quite a few stories have begun like this and ended in disappointing fashion. This time around, however, it did not and there was nothing but smiles and happy tears. Santana was able to crack a home run in the fifth inning of the game and made the 13-year-old’s day.
Following the game, Santana was asked about delivering on his promise to hit a home run for Garcia, as shared by Philadelphia Inquirer .
“I remembered, and I said, ‘Thank you, God,’ for letting me do that. Everything I do, I do from my heart.”
To say that Garcia was happy that Santana delivered on his promise would be a major understatement. His mom answered how it made her son feel in a post-game interview.
“We got chills. He almost cried. He had always dreamt about this day and it finally happened.”
The ? @Phillies ?’ Carlos Santana promised a leukemia patient he’d hit a homer. Then he did. https://t.co/rryGslDUNY
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) August 6, 2018
Santana and the Phillies are having a surprising season thus far in 2018. Philadelphia is currently 63-48 and are in first place in the National League East. They hold a 1.5-game lead on the second-place Atlanta Braves.
As for his own stat line, Santana has compiled a .220 batting average to go along with 17 home runs and 64 RBIs. This is his first season with the Phillies, as he signed in free agency following eight seasons with the Cleveland Indians.
All of that being said, this story may not end up making it into the major news outlets, but it is something that will make every single sports fans smile. Santana deserves credit for doing a good thing and Garcia will surely never forget the Phillies’ slugger coming through for him.
