Tim McGraw might be best known as a country music superstar most places he goes, but inside Philadelphia, he’ll always be the son of Phillies legend Tug McGraw. All the way back in 1980, the popular relief pitcher recorded the final out to win the Phillies their first World Series title since 1903. He sadly passed from a brain tumor back in 2004, but that hasn’t stopped fans from fondly remembering him, as they proved during Game 3 of the World Series.
Tim McGraw was in attendance alongside his wife and Yellowstone spinoff 1883 co-star Faith Hill and their children when the jumbotron cut to him enjoying the game. He got a nice little ovation, but the crowd absolutely lost it when he turned around and showed everyone he was wearing his late father’s jersey. The moment was really touching and has been working its way around social media in the time since. You can check it out below…
Tug McGraw’s son Tim McGraw in the house tonight wearing his dad’s Phillies jerseyYa Gotta Believe! pic.twitter.com/68101zJDTgNovember 2, 2022
This is a great little microcosm example of why I love sports. Tug McGraw isn’t in the Baseball Hall of Fame or even one of the first pitchers people would think of when they look back on previous generations of Phillies, but he was a damn good player who played hard and meant something to the fans. He stepped up in big moments and also once dyed his jersey green for St Patrick’s Day, just as a hilarious solo activity by himself. He was a memorable character, and almost forty years after he retired, it’s obvious how much the fans still care.
It’s also obvious how much Tim McGraw still cares for his father. The two didn’t exactly have the most conventional relationship. They only met twice when Tim was a child, but Tug later paid for him to attend college. The two developed a close relationship after that, and McGraw is occasionally spotted at Phillies games, most famously during the World Series in 2008 when he dropped some of his father’s ashes over the pitcher’s mound at Citizens Bank Park.
The Phillies are currently ahead of the Astros two games to one in the World Series, which is a best of seven contest. They went into the series as pretty clear underdogs, but their unexpected and magical run is still going strong and captivating the entire city. The teams will be back at it tonight. I’m sure we can all, once again, expect a raucous crowd at Citizens Bank Park, no matter which celebrities, former players and/ or celebrity children of former players happen to be in attendance.
