PHILADELPHIA,PA- Mitch Black, an 8 year old self proclaimed “die hard” Phillies fan died last week at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia last Thursday.
In the bottom of the 2nd against the Atlanta Braves, Phillies star Nick Castellanos deposited an inside fastball from Braves starter Ian Anderson over the right center wall for a 3 run home run to put the Phillies up 7-1. In doing so, Castellanos sealed the young fan’s fate.
“He went into the surgery very worried.” Said Black’s Father David last via phone. “He said he hasn’t hit a homer since May, so he was in high spirits.”
“At approximately 8:03 PM EST, Mitch Black lost his battle with cancer.” Said Doctor Ronald Pickering to reporters. “This was supposed to be a routine procedure. Mitch hadn’t even started chemotherapy yet. I have never seen anything like it” he continued.
Following the game, Castellanos answered questions from reporters at his locker.
“I don’t read letters. I hit baseballs.” Castellanos told reporters gesturing to the stack of letters in his locker. “I don’t have time for that.”
When reporters informed him of Black’s death following the game, Castellanos declined comment. Reporters read Dr. Pickering’s statement to Castellanos.
“I took an inside fastball over the RF wall. I bet y’all have never seen anything like that either,” Castellanos rebutted.
Following his postgame interview, a Phillies representative delivered a stack of letters to Castellanos’s locker. According to sources, the letters were from different children’s hospitals across the nation. Castellanos promptly left the locker room.
