A Foul to Remember

                                                                          

Story by Rob Orazietti
Photos by Rob Orizietti and Newhouse Sports Media Center Staff

SYRACUSE,N.Y.--On a balmy Wednesday night in early August the Syracuse Chiefs took on the Buffalo Bisons. As the smells of summer and cheers of excitement permeated the stadium, the Syracuse Chiefs were up by one in the fourth inning. Throughout the stadium, groups of families and friends were huddled together awaiting the next play. 

In a tight game, catcher Jhonatan Solano stepped up to the plate.  He made contact but, unfortunately for him, hooked the ball left. Fortunately for eleven-year-old Aden Almonte, the foul came his way.

With his own mitt in hand, Aden was waiting for a moment like this. He and his two friends were in the front row all eagerly shuffling to see where the ball would land. Quickly, the ball bounced off the top of the dugout, through the stands railing, off Aden’s friend's glove and finally, right to him.

Excitement in his voice, Aden said "I have a ton of baseball cases, so I'm going to add it to my collection".


His red “born and raised” Chiefs shirt coupled with his glowing enthusiasm showed his love for the team. Aden has been loyally attending Syracuse Chiefs games with his grandparents for the past seven years. 

Coming to Chiefs games has become a ritual in the Almonte household. As his grandparents explained, it is a time for their family to come together and celebrate tradition, sports, family, and America.

Baseball has been a foundation of Aden’s childhood. He says he has been playing the sport himself for as long as he can remember. It has taught him discipline, allowed for the creation of countless family memories, and continues to inspire the way this eleven-year old lives his life.

Like many other children across America, Aden considers his favorite athletes to be his biggest role models. Consistently, young athletes are influenced by the professionals to work hard both on and off the fields. While Solano may have been disappointed for the moment by the foul ball, it meant a lot to Aden to take the ball home. 

Chiefs General Manager Jason Smorol brought Aden's foul ball to Solano after the game for him to autograph after the game and a reporter showed Solano a picture of the boy happily displaying it and informed him that he was one of Aden’s role models. 

When asked how he felt that he is an inspiration to Aden, Solano responded with “contento, contento” or, “happy, happy.”  

   For Solano, this is just another ordinary strike in his career. But for Aden Almonte, it was a very memorable moment at NBT Bank Stadium.



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