PARKER, Colo. (KDVR) — A 10-year-old boy from Parker is going viral for a sweet moment caught on camera during a press conference at the 2022 MLB All-Star Game in Los Angeles.
Blake Grice is a young man of many hobbies, which includes running a YouTube channel where he interviews famous athletes. His work earned him a media credential to the All-Star Game as a “kid reporter.”
“There’s just so much love in baseball. It’s not just a game. It’s the people,” he said.
He traveled to LA with his father, Barrie, for the All-Star festivities.
“Out of nowhere my dad gets a notification: Clayton Kershaw is available and so we’re like, wait, isn’t that on the bucket list?” Blake said.
The “bucket list” is a list of things Blake’s late grandfather wanted to see, do and accomplish after beating cancer. It included things like seeing the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Yosemite, and meeting Clayton Kershaw and Vin Scully. Unfortunately, he died in 2014 before he got the chance to do any of those things.
At the Kershaw press conference, Blake says he was hoping to check an item off of the bucket list. However, he quickly realized he was not going to get the chance.
“I’m raising my hand for about a minute and I’m like, come on man, so I just walked up right when [Kershaw] turned around and luckily somebody pointed me out,” Blake said.
The little boy broke protocol and approached the star after he finished answering questions.
“He turns around and he says ‘hey there buddy’ and that’s kind of where it started,” Blake said.
The boy explained about his grandfather’s wish and his death before breaking down in tears. Kershaw gave him a hug and took photos with him and his dad.
“It was emotional for me because that was, I was doing that for my grandfather and I knew he was proud of me up there,” Blake said. “It’s one of those moments that you’ve been anticipating that for a very long time and when you get to do it it feels so good.”
“I saw the footage later and I couldn’t believe what had transpired,” his father, Barrie Grice said.
According to Grice, he was unable to hear the interaction at the moment.
“I’m extremely proud. I don’t even know how he’s mine. He’s an amazing human being,” he said of his son.
The family has been working for a few years to check off each item on Blake’s grandfather’s bucket list. Each time they complete one, they snap a photo with a special flag to mark the occasion.
“It gives us things to look forward to in life and I’m just looking forward to checking them all off,” Grice said.
For Blake, he says working his way through his grandfather’s aspirations is a special way to remember him.
“It makes me feel very close to him and it just really helps me to stay connected with him and to love him even when he’s up there so I might not have much memory of him but at least I have tons of love with him,” he said.
