You might’ve noticed two Phillies players were sporting some lime green gear during Friday night’s game against the Kansas City Royals. There’s a sweet story behind why.
Left fielder Brandon Marsh and relief pitcher Matt Strahm met with 8-year-old Lincoln Hanson, a childhood cancer warrior from Glenolden, Pennsylvania, at batting practice Friday afternoon. The meet-and-greet at Citizens Bank Park was organized by Victus Sports and the HEADstrong Foundation, which supports families with a member battling cancer.
Video from the Phillies shows Lincoln, wearing a Strahm jersey, meeting the lefty pitcher and signing a Lincoln trading card. Strahm — who hosts a show about collecting cards and once estimated he has about 1 million baseball cards in his collection — then signed a Strahm card for Lincoln.
Strahm went a step further when he gave Lincoln a custom pair of green cleats and a green bat, both with Lincoln’s name on them, and a green glove from Victus.
Marsh and Strahm both wore green gear signed by Lincoln during the game, an 8-2 victory.
Lincoln’s mom, dad and little brother were also invited out for batting practice and the meet and greet on Friday.
Strahm and Marsh will be decked out in green again on Saturday night, which is Nemours Children’s Health Childhood Cancer Awareness Night.
The green represents the primary color of the HEADstrong Foundation. HEADstrong has a presence in the Philly area with Nick’s House Philadelphia, a home in Swarthmore for families to stay while a member receives cancer treatment at nearby hospitals in the city, such as the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
