John Farrell the Skipper is giving way to John Farrell the Father for a day.
The Boston Red Sox manager skipped the team’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday to watch his son Luke, a pitcher for the Royals, make his MLB debut against the Minnesota Twins in Kansas City.
“You get to a point where you miss so much,” said Royals manager Ned Yost, per Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. “If I’m not mistaken, he’s seen Luke pitch one time. Some things are really important. Some things are just more important than a baseball game — even though this is a baseball game.
The Red Sox took care of business in Farrell’s absence, defeating Toronto by the final of 7-1. Meanwhile, the younger Farrell lasted just 2.2 innings in his debut, giving up five earned runs on seven hits with three walks and two strikeouts. But the image of the elder Farrell, who has been criticized recently for a perceived lack of support in other realms, in the stands cheering on his son through thick and thin was surely a priceless one nevertheless.
