Monday 25 June 2012

Brent Lillibridge is leaving behind a young and heartbroken fan in Chicago (Video)

As is Internet custom, Sunday's trade between the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox caused at least one parent to upload footage of his son's heart breaking reaction to hearing the news that his favorite player was no longer a member of his favorite team.

And while a lot of us would have put a large amount of money on the player in question being Kevin Youkilis — what New England youth won't miss watching him play? — it was actually ex-White Sox outfielder Brent Lillibridge shattering the world of a fan on the South Side.

Watch as five-year-old Corban DeWitt learns that Lillibridge is heading to Boston with pitcher Zach Stewart so the White Sox can fill their gaping hole at third base:

As is also Internet custom, Corban's dad is taking a beating for filming his son during a particularly vulnerable moment and posting it on YouTube for the world to see. Jason DeWitt is denying in the comments that thousands of clicks were his intention — he says he just wanted Brent to see that he'd be missed — but tweeting the link to dozens of players and media members would seem to suggest  a healthy dose of opportunism.

I still love seeing Corban's reaction, though, because it's a glimpse into the pure fandom that only a child can know. When you're five years old, you don't know that Brent Lillibridge has only received 70 plate appearances this year or that he's been buried on Robin Ventura's bench or that your team can't succeed with your third basemen posting a combined OPS below .500 all season. You just have a favorite player for whatever reason — in the case of Corban, it's probably because Lillibridge resembles someone in his playgroup — and you root for him no matter what.

But as Tom Fornelli of South Side Asylum points out to young Corban, the great thing about sports is that new players come along and sometimes they're even better than the old ones.

Actually, that gives me a great idea for a new take on these types of videos. The next time a player gets traded, I want to see someone sit their five-year-old down for a filmed lesson in the concepts of WAR and VORP. Comedy gold guaranteed.

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