It’s been said that there is no crying in baseball. But what about when tears are brought on by laughter?
That’s what happened Wednesday night when a cancer survivor and a sports photographer snapping images before a Major League Baseball game in Boston united to become internet heroes.
Red Sox superfan Jordan Leandre has become a bit of a Fenway Park legend after being diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a form of bone cancer, when he was four years old.
Now having beaten the disease, the 17-year-old was invited back to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for a fifth time — but this one will likely be the most memorable.
Surrounded by members of Boston’s 1967 “Impossible Dream” Red Sox team, who were being honoured the same evening, Leandre wound up for the pitch and hurled the ball towards the plate.
But unfortunately he missed the strike zone, instead hitting the “man zone” of photographer Tony Capobianco.
“As soon as it left my hand, I knew it wasn’t going to go close to the plate,” Leandre told WBZ. “Once I saw it hit him, I just turned around and put my hands over my mouth. I couldn’t believe it hit him there of all places.”
“Believe it or not, I’m a pitcher, which makes this situation even funnier,” Leandre said.
The incident immediately sent the Twittersphere into a frenzy.
Fortunately Capobianco was also able to find the humour in his mishap.
Not surprisingly, the Internet came through for him.
“That was an event for a cancer research fund,” Capobianco responded to one tweeter’s post. “By wearing a pink shirt, I’m the last guy that should be hit by a pitch there…or so I thought.”
Capobianco and Leandro met following the game and were able to laugh about the incident.
“I’ve embraced it at this point,” Leandro said. “I’ve already accepted that it will probably be on Sportscentre probably later today.”