Tim McGraw isn’t the only star in his family. His late father, Tug McGraw was a relief pitcher in the MLB from 1965 to 1984. He was with the New York Mets when they won the World Series in 1969 and the Philadelphia Phillies when they won it in 1980. He is a member of the New York Mets Hall of Fame and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame. During a recent meet and greet, a fan brought Tim a box of his father’s memorabilia.
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McGraw shared a video of the heartwarming interaction on Instagram in celebration of Father’s Day. “So, I was at my meet and greet the other night and this guy came in with this big box. The first thing he said was, ‘I don’t know any of your music but I’m a big fan of your dad’s,’” McGraw said, introducing a clip of the interaction. “I’ve never heard a song of yours, I’m not a country and western fan. But I loved your dad,” the man tells him.
Tim McGraw Takes a Trip Down Memory Lane
The box contained a treasure trove of memorabilia. For instance, there was an album full of baseball cards including the elder McGraw’s rookie cards. Additionally, the box contained a vinyl record that showcased some of the highlights of the Phillies’ World Series win.
While going through the album, McGraw focused on a photo of his father. Taken moments after Tug McGraw threw the game-winning pitch at the 1980 World Series, the photo shows the entire team gathered around him on the pitcher’s mound. One teammate, Mike “Schmidty” Schmidt is jumping on McGraw’s back.
McGraw explained that Schmidt and his father were friends and they rode to games together. “Schmidty told Tug, ‘Look, this is what’s going to happen. Because you’ve been pitching great and you’ve been pitching in every game of the playoffs, in the World Series you’re going to be out there and you’re going to throw the last pitch and you’re going to win the game and you’re going to get all the attention. I’m out here hitting triples, hitting home runs, diving, catching balls at third base, and you’re going to be the hero for throwing one pitch. So, when you strike out whoever you strike out to win the game, I’m coming to tackle you because I’m getting in that picture,’” McGraw recalled.
“Sure enough, Schmidty dove right over the top of him. That’s what that picture is right there,” he added.
At the end of the video, McGraw addresses the sports fan who brought him the box. “Thank you, man, for bringing this stuff out to me. This will pass down to our generations,” he said.
Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images for ABA
