Current:Home > reviewsSeattle Mariners fan surprises Félix Hernández at team's Hall of Fame ceremony -Horizon Finance School
Seattle Mariners fan surprises Félix Hernández at team's Hall of Fame ceremony
View
Date:2025-04-15 22:27:58
Félix Hernández received his figurative flowers from Seattle Mariners fans on élixHernáSaturday when he was inducted into the club's Hall of Fame.
But a special surprise at the ceremony was when 15-year-old Sophia Robinson actually handed the Cy Young winner a bouquet of flowers. She flew in from her home in Anchorage, Alaska with her family to be there for the big day.
Hernández, who spent 15 MLB seasons with the Mariners, appreciated the gesture, giving Robinson a big hug and raising her hand as she handed him flowers.
"I'm honored to do this and it's really special," Robinson told USA TODAY Sports ahead of the game.
Robinson and Hernández have a friendship that spans a decade from when they met in 2013 through Make-A-Wish. She grew up with her family watching the Mariners and, after undergoing two heart surgeries at 4 years old, wanted to meet her favorite player.
FOLLOW THE MONEY: MLB player salaries and payrolls for every major league team
Robinson has three congenital heart conditions — ventricular septal defect (a hole in one of the walls of the heart), coarctation of the aorta and interrupted aortic arch (the main artery that delivers blood from the heart to the body is not fully formed). She and her family flew to Seattle several times while she was a child to receive treatment from Seattle Children's Hospital because there wasn't sufficient care in Anchorage.
She met Hernández during one of those trips. They got to chat by his locker and play with the dirt in the field.
"I was pretty happy," Sophia recalled.
"When I met Sophia, I mean, that was real special," Hernández said in Make-A-Wish's recap video. "... When you try to put a smile one someone's face, it'll make you feel really good."
The two have kept in touch since that day, initially messaging on social media and then exchanging text messages. They reunited in 2017 when Robinson ran the bases during the season's home opener. The Robinsons also had dinner with Hernández's family around that time, but they haven't connected in person since.
"The last time she was 9 and now she's 15, so he's seeing a very, very different child," Robinson's mother, Talia, said. "... This Make-A-Wish that started in 2013 turned into this relationship between a little girl from Alaska and Félix."
veryGood! (81)
Related
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- Billy Ray Cyrus, Tish Cyrus' ex-husband, marries singer Firerose in 'ethereal celebration'
- Taylor Swift Shares Why She's Making a Core Memory During Speech at Eras Tour Movie Premiere
- No. 1 pick Connor Bedard scores first career goal in slick play vs. Boston Bruins
- California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- How long should you bake that potato? Here's how long it takes in oven, air fryer and more
- Taylor Swift Reacts to Beyoncé's Fairytale Appearance at Star-Studded Eras Tour Film Premiere
- $1.765 billion Powerball jackpot goes to a player who bought a ticket in a California mountain town
- Average rate on 30
- Sculpture commemorating historic 1967 Cleveland summit with Ali, Jim Brown, other athletes unveiled
Ranking
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- John Cena's Super-Private Road to Marrying Shay Shariatzadeh
- Arizona Diamondbacks celebrate NLDS sweep over Los Angeles Dodgers with a pool party
- Scott Disick Reveals Why His Sex Life Is “Terrible”
- US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
- Rebecca Yarros denounces book bans, Jill Biden champions reading at literacy celebration
- Contract talks between Hollywood studios and actors break down again
- 'Laugh now, cry later'? Cowboys sound delusional after 49ers racked up points in rout
Recommendation
Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
Fish and Wildlife Service to Consider Restoring Manatee’s Endangered Status
Early morning storms leave path of damage from Tampa Bay into north Florida. No injuries reported
Rebecca Yarros denounces book bans, Jill Biden champions reading at literacy celebration
Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
Federal judge won’t block suspension of right to carry guns in some New Mexico parks, playgrounds
Kentucky man, 96, tried to kill 90-year-old wife who has dementia, police say
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self won't face additional penalties from infractions case