Mo Vaughn played the role of hero on several different occasions during his seven-year Boston Red Sox career. Big Mo belted 230 homers during his days in Boston and won the American League MVP award in 1995. However, the tragic events that took place at the Boston Marathon on Monday afternoon reminded us that we often times use the term “hero” too loosely.
Athletes are not heroes. The first responders, spectators and runners who helped save lives on Monday are heroes. On Thursday, Vaughn took out a half-page ad in the Boston Globe to thank those people for their bravery.
“As a former Major League Baseball player, I spent 8 years playing in the greatest sports town in the country,” the ad read. “I’m deeply saddened by the tragic events that took place this past Monday at The Boston Marathon. Patriots Day is the one day each year that this great city celebrates the bravery and heroism of the people that live here. As a community, you quickly pulled together by rushing to the aid of the many injured – first responders, runners and the spectators themselves – you all are heroes in my eyes. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone in the City of Boston, especially to the families and friends of those who lost their lives or were injured in this horrible incident.
“Boston Will March On.”
Here is how the ad looked in the paper:
Ex-#RedSox 1B Mo Vaughn took out ad in today’s @bostonglobe print edition to support #Boston b.globe.com/10kneoa twitter.com/BGlobeSports/s…
— Boston Globe Sports (@BGlobeSports) April 18, 2013
Classy move by Mo. Seeing this type of gesture from a player who has not played in Boston for 15 years reminds the city of the impact it has had on its athletes. It’s nice to see players like Vaughn, Danny Amendola, Brad Marchand and others find ways to give back.
