Milwaukee Brewers: Christian Yelich winning over fans he already had

In a letter he penned to the seniors on the baseball team at his old high school, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich puts baseball into perspective for us all.

The majority of us played a competitive sport at one time or another in our youth, and maybe even into our adulthood. For most of us, we were on the losing end of our last game played. We were able to play the game though. For student-athletes this year, they were not given that opportunity as the coronavirus prematurely ended their seasons. For one school, this is where Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich came in and lifted some spirits.

The school was Westlake High School in California and one of their most famous graduates is Yelich himself, outfielder for the Brewers. The letter written by Yelich is very heartfelt and addresses so many areas of life much greater than the game of baseball.

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His words have the perfect mixture of accolades with advice and guidance with glorification. Yelich was a first-round pick out of Westlake in 2010, and speaking from experience he told the kids not to take anything for granted. Spoken from someone who has worked their way up to an MVP caliber player he is.

For the players who unknowingly played their last game in their baseball career, before having the season taken from them, Yelich offered encouraging words about how they will be great in the career path they choose to take.

Christian Yelich didn’t have to reach out to any 18-year-old kids. He didn’t have to shine a light on high school seniors in a time where there is so much darkness. He didn’t have to, but he chose to. He chose to stay connected to the community which raised him in his baseball life.

Some professional athletes are making monetary contributions to first responders or taking meals to hospitals. These are very important gestures during this time of uncertainty. What Yelich did for his high school may not get the media coverage the other acts of kindness are getting, yet it means just as much.

For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health.