Rockies Star Makes Shocking Promise to Sick Child—Fans Stunned by Heartfelt Gesture

If you’ve ever wondered just how far professional athletes will go to make a young fan’s dreams come true—well, even I couldn’t have predicted this move . Superstar pitcher meets leukemia-stricken child at Coors Field, and, instead of promising a home run for the Rockies, he vouches to cough one up—to the other team . Talk about flipping the script! There’s a fine line between heartfelt gestures and, um, orchestrating your own highlight reel of defeat . Sometimes, you have to laugh to keep from crying, especially when even dropped fly balls are apparently all part of the gift package . Could the Rockies have finally discovered a wildly unconventional way to “lose for a cause”? Or are we all just participants in the world’s most awkward Make-A-Wish? Either way, grab the popcorn, because you definitely haven’t seen a tearjerker quite like this before . LEARN MORE.

DENVER—In an effort to make sure the young leukemia patient’s night at Coors Field was a special one, Colorado Rockies pitcher Kyle Freeland pledged Saturday to give up a home run for a sick child, ballpark sources confirmed. “Hey buddy, when I go out there tonight and serve up a meatball for the Diamondbacks to nuke into the bleachers, I just want you to know it’s all for you,” Burke said to the 7-year-old fan before the game, adding that he’d make sure the home run ball found its way back to the child so he could always remember how badly the Rockies lost. “This is your night tonight, and I’m gonna go out on that mound and put a nice, fat pitch right over home plate for someone to knock out of the park. That’s a promise. And the rest of the team knows you’re watching, too, so keep your eyes peeled for some dropped fly balls and half-assed base running from them to you.” After giving up the pledged home run at the top of the third inning, Burke reportedly led the entire stadium in a round of boos for the sick child.