Some say it is the greatest moment in the history of sportsmanship, and it happened in a recent little league game of baseball.
It was the first inning of the Southwest Region championship. Kaiden Shelton is the pitcher on the powerful Pearland team. He is also their big hitter.
Isaiah Jarvis is the shortstop on the up-and-coming Oklahoma team. Their dogged perseverance got them to the championship game. Pearland has been to Williamsport before, but Oklahoma has not.
The team from Pearland got off to a great start in the first half of the first inning with three runs scored. Oklahoma came back in the bottom of the inning with two runs and seemed to have a rally going.
Then it happened.
Shelton threw an out-of-control fastball and it hit Jarvis right in the helmet. He fell at the plate in agony and the umpire shouted, “Oh my God!”
Coaches and medical staff rushed in to help him. The stadium was silent. Jarvis’ mom stood in the stands with one hand over her mouth and the other on her heart.
Pearland players took a knee, and Shelton did too.
Minutes seemed like hours, but Jarvis was helped to his feet and soon he jogged down to the first base for the walk.
When Shelton was supposed to get ready to pitch, instead he began to cry. He kept hearing the umpire saying “Oh my God!”
There Shelton stood, alone on the mound crying. No one from his team or his coaching staff came out to him. Finally, somebody began walking toward him, it was Jarvis coming from first base. He threw his helmet down to the ground and wrapped his arms around the pitcher. He let Shelton know that it was OK.
One team won and another lost. The game might not even be remembered, but that perfect display of perfect sportsmanship will linger.
Before the tournament, Isaiah Jarvis said that his biggest dream was to make “Sports Center.”
My guess is he will.
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