Posted on 04/27/2006 5:59:32 AM PDT by JZelle
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Rondell White planned to ship a replica Twins road jersey to his "hero" last Thursday.
Instead, the kid-sized jersey, draped in clear plastic, is hanging in the Twins designated hitter's locker stall. It will stay there all season.
It is White's way of honoring a courageous boy he met while playing for the Montreal Expos in the 1990s. Antony Carola died Thursday after a decadelong battle with cancer. He was 14.
White and his wife, Zana, spent Monday, the Twins' day off, in Montreal attending Carola's viewing. White took a 6:30 a.m. flight from Montreal to Kansas City on Tuesday and was in the lineup for that night's game. White went 1 for 4 as the designated hitter in the Twins' 2-1 victory.
"He was like a little brother to me," said White, who learned of Carola's passing from a phone message following Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Angels. "It's hard to believe. He was a fighter. He fought. He fought. He fought. He was always positive, never complained."
(Excerpt) Read more at twincities.com ...
Sad, but touching, story. Rondell White has always been one of the real good guys of baseball.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.