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How a Blue Jays fan lifted the spirits of Cleveland boy injured in shooting

mark townsend
Yahoo Sports Contributor

Playoff baseball lends itself more to creating tension between opposing fan bases than it does generating goodwill. But that doesn’t mean every fan is blinded by the stakes or incapable of putting the game into perspective.

Thanks to a kind-hearted Toronto Blue Jays fan, we were reminded of that reality on Friday, as we learned she gave up her tickets to Game 1 of the ALCS to a young Cleveland Indians fan who was recently injured in a shooting.

According to The Cleveland Plain Dealer, the giving fan refused to be identified or recognized. She simply wanted to shine a little light on what had been a difficult time for the boy and his family. It’s also noted that she was inspired by the Larry Doby Fund, a charity the Indians recently created which is aimed at helping disadvantaged children and reducing youth violence.

After reading Hoynes’ story about the fund, the woman contacted the Indians to offer up her tickets. The Indians then reached out to the family of Saed Abdeldayem, the 4-year-old boy shot in the foot Wednesday night at a barbershop on Cleveland’s West Side, during what police say was likely a botched robbery by three teens. Saed’s uncle, 21-year-old Yusef Suleiman, jumped on Saed to protect him during the shooting. Suleiman was not injured.

Both Saed Abdeldayem and Yusef Suleiman were at Progressive Field for the exciting series opener, which the Indians won 2-0 behind Francisco Lindor’s home run and an excellent pitching effort from Corey Kluber, Andrew Miller and Cody Allen.

Saed Abdeldayem supports Corey Kluber and the Cleveland Indians during ALCS Game 1. (@ShelbyMillerCBS)
Saed Abdeldayem supports Corey Kluber and the Cleveland Indians during ALCS Game 1. (@ShelbyMillerCBS)

It’s pretty clear young Saed is a big Kluber fan. Now he’ll have a pretty awesome experience to share with his friends. As for Suleiman, who acted as a hero under extremely difficult circumstances, he simply wants to say thank you for a kind deed he never would have imagined possible a few short days ago.

“Saed is all ready to go,” Suleiman said before the game. “He has his gear on and is all smiles.”

“I would love to meet woman who donated the tickets and thank her,” he added.

I think we all would, because her generosity here is truly extraordinary.

It’s a refreshing story, because it shows how far one good deed can go. By creating the Larry Doby Fund, the Indians are helping young kids to a better life while inspiring others to give. As they say, if they inspired one person to pay it forward, it’s worth it. Now, hopefully the actions of this fan will inspire others to follow suit.

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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!