Gavin Deblois came down from Windsor, Ontario, hoping a front-row spot beyond PNC Park’s right-field fence might put him and friends Nate and Gage on the broadcast. By the eighth inning Thursday, the young Brewers fan had become part of the game’s most memorable scene.
Bo Naylor’s first home run in a Milwaukee uniform landed in Gavin’s orbit during the Brewers’ 7-4 loss to Pittsburgh. The solo drive cut the deficit to one run for a time, and Gavin reached with his Brewers cap in an attempt to make the catch.
A cap, a home run and a replay review
- Gavin, Nate and Gage shifted to seats along the right-field wall during the middle innings, figuring the location offered their best chance to appear on television.
- In the eighth, Naylor sent a solo homer toward their section, giving Gavin an unexpected chance at a souvenir from a fellow Ontario native.
- Gavin tried to secure the ball with his cap, but it slipped free and dropped onto the warning track.
- Umpires gathered to review the unusual play, ultimately allowing Naylor’s home run to count.
- A Pirates usher later returned Gavin’s cap, ending a tense few minutes with both the hat and the homer intact.
Naylor, from Mississauga, Ontario, gave the moment an extra Canadian connection. Windsor sits only a few hours away, and Gavin’s path to Brewers fandom also began with a cap.
Why the Brewers became his club
Gavin’s father had traveled to Milwaukee several years earlier and brought back a Brewers hat. Gavin, who plays third base himself, was drawn to the club’s ball-and-glove emblem and adopted Milwaukee as his team.
The broadcast attention turned into an even better keepsake when Brewers announcer Josh Maurer came to the group’s seats carrying a replacement cap. It had been signed by play-by-play broadcaster Brian Anderson and analyst Tim Dillard, who worked the Brewers.TV telecast.
The signed cap was one worn by Milwaukee players during Tuesday’s division-clinching celebration at PNC Park, making it a fitting trade for a hat that had briefly shared the field with Naylor’s milestone homer.
Gavin may get a chance to thank the Brewers in person next summer. His family is planning a Milwaukee trip that could include his first visit to American Family Field.
