Acton family enjoys watching relative Brandon Pfaadt pitch in World Series

Oct. 31—There are few stages in sports quite as big as the World Series. For one Pulaski County family, that baseball diamond shines even brighter.

On Monday night, the Texas Rangers beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 3-1 in game 3 of the 2023 World Series, the championship for Major League Baseball. Pitching for the Diamondbacks in that game was Kentucky native Brandon Pfaadt.

Pfaadt attended Trinity High School in Louisville and played baseball collegiately at Bellarmine University in the same city — but his family roots run into Pulaski County. His mother is well-known to local sports fans as Staci Acton, who played on Pulaski County High School's 1981 state champion girl's basketball squad when she was in the eighth grade. She would go on to be a four-year starter in high school, regularly earning All-District, All-Region, and All-State honors and going on to play basketball for the University of Louisville.

Her brother Stephen also played basketball, graduating PCHS in 1989, and today, his own son Mason plays for the Maroons, and like his cousin, is set to attend Bellarmine. Mason was the Commonwealth Journal's local Baseball Player of the Year as a junior this past spring and looks to have another big season on the diamond in 2024. Last year, he led the Maroons in batting average this season with a .361, and was tied for the most home runs in the local area with three.

And Stephen and Staci's late father Claude Acton was also a very familiar face in the county school system. Acton was on the Pulaski County Schools Board of Education from 1984 through 1999 as well as very active in the northern Pulaski community of Woodstock and as a school sports official.

With such a rich family legacy in athletics, it's been exciting for Stephen and Mason to watch Pfaadt on the big stage — and not only on TV, but in person as well.

"I watched the Monday night game, and actually went down to Texas for Game 2 (Saturday) and watched it," said Stephen, a vice president with Cumberland Lake Shell. "I'm very excited for him, number one, but our family has always been pretty big in sports, and to see somebody that close to you at that level, and for him to not only take advantage of the opportunity but also succeed in the moment, I'm very excited for him. Very proud of him."

After being drafted in 2020, Pfaadt is a 25-year-old right-handed rookie pitcher this year in the Major Leagues, making his debut on May 3. He came up big earlier in the playoffs, throwing 4 1/3 scoreless innings in Game 3 of the NL Division Series to help Arizona complete a sweep the Los Angeles Dodgers. He then picked up two wins in the NL Championship Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, including striking out seven batters in the decisive Game 7 as a starter. Before Monday, Pfaadt had enjoyed a 2.70 ERA through four October starts.

Starting Game 3 against the Rangers, Pfaadt unfortunately didn't get the win this time. He did strike out four batters, but also allowed three runs on four hits in 5 1/3 innings, as well as a headline-making home run by Ranger Corey Seager. He did finish well after a rough third inning, with seven outs, a strikeout, and two walks.

On the trip down to Arlington, Texas, part of the larger Dallas-Ft. Worth area, Stephen and his family got to spend some time with Pfaadt — who did not start that game — and enjoy lunch together, as well as talk about Pfaadt's World Series start that would come on Monday.

Stephen said he didn't pick Pfaadt's brain too hard about the inside information a player like him would be privy to — "I don't want to add any pressure to him or get too much into the details (but was) just trying to be a positive influence," said Stephen.

Being at the game — which Arizona won 9-1 — was "pretty wild," he said. "The stadium was packed and it was obviously a pro-Texas crowd, but it was good to see the Diamondbacks win a game in that hostile environment."

So did those in the family foresee this level of success for Pfaadt?

"I'd probably be lying if I said yes," said Stephen. "Obviously it takes talent to get to that level, but also the sacrifice and dedication needed to get to level. Very few people get the chance to make it to the Major Leagues, much less pitch in the World Series."

As a catcher on his way to Bellarmine, Mason Acton has a close eye on Pfaadt as he's "following in his footsteps," as Stephen put it.

"It means a lot to me," said Mason. "It's awesome to turn on the TV and see him pitching and just being able to say that, on a personal note, (I know) what kind of a guy he is and how humble and genuine he is."

He added of this World Series experience, "I guess it's made all of our family Diamondbacks fans."

Indeed, the trip to Texas was one of his "coolest experiences as a sports fan," said the high schooler. "Being able to be in that atmosphere, and the Diamondbacks had a good game too, so it was fun to watch their offensive outburst. I got to see Brandon after and before the game too, so that was nice."

From one baseball player to another, how did Mason assess Pfaadt's performance on Monday night?

"I feel like he did really well," said Mason. "He just had that one bad pitch to Seager. He's a great player so he made the most of the (situation)."

Pfaadt has been a resource for Mason, but for more than just baseball tips. "Whether it be baseball or just going about your business, I think he's a pretty good example of what a person should be like," said Mason.

The baseball instruction perhaps came a little earlier, when Mason was younger; these days they don't see each other "too often; usually at Thanksgiving and Christmas," said Mason.

"We don't talk much about baseball (at those times) but just about everything else," he noted.

When Mason goes to Bellarmine, he'll be continuing the legacy not just of Brandon but two of his brothers, Brady and Brett Pfaadt, who also played at Bellarmine.

"It means a lot to know that I can go there and play where they played and continue that on," said Mason.

With grandchildren like Brandon Pfaadt and Mason Acton experiencing so much on the field of play, as the grandchildren of Claude and his wife Janie Acton, Stephen knows how much that knowledge would mean to the previous generation.

"It's kind of bittersweet," said Stephen. "Dad was a big sports fan too, loved baseball, loved many sports, but especially baseball. I wish he was around to see it, but I know he's very proud, not only of the accomplishments but of the type of young man that Brandon's becoming."