Tempe dad, son give away World Series tix

TEMPE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — Dennis Davis never expected to be in the ballpark for a Diamondbacks World Series game. “It’s an opportunity you just don’t get,” he said. “These tickets are so expensive. It’s just something we wouldn’t afford.”

But he was there, decked out in D-backs gear for Game 3 against the Texas Rangers. To understand why the moment was so special, you have to understand how much baseball runs through Davis’ blood. “My dad was actually drafted to play professional baseball out of high school and didn’t get to do the opportunity,” he said. “My mom had me and he stayed home in a small town and worked and raised a family and didn’t get to go try to do his dreams. But I’ve always loved baseball growing up. We grew up at the ballpark. My dad coached our teams and so now I get the opportunity to do that with mine.”

This season, Davis’ 6-year-old played on a team proudly named by the kids: The Mighty Rainbow Shark Dogs. “I’ve coached six seasons, and now I’m kind of running the program, so we’re looking forward to the next one and just making it bigger and bigger and growing it,” Davis said. “I feel like it’s very important for them to get off to a good start, and these programs are super for the kids.”

That dedication as a volunteer for Tempe’s Jethawk tee ball program is why Davis ended up with tickets to Game 3. Over the weekend, Bobbi Jones, a recreation coordinator for the city of Tempe, got a message from Matt Fisher, another tee ball dad, who wanted to give away his World Series tickets to a deserving Diamondbacks fan. Jones chose Davis. “This year, he just went above and beyond and he just worked his heart out,” Jones said. “His hard work paid off because an angel like Matt came along and just said, ‘You did a good job and it’s all worth it.’ It’s an amazing story. It really is. I’m so happy for everyone.”

On Your Side introduced you to Fisher and his 5-year-old son, Leo, last week. They had plans to go to Game 3. Fisher purchased tickets on SeatGeek, but the next morning, he woke up to a message that the transaction was canceled. He had to break the news to Leo. “I tell him, ‘I’m really sorry man. We don’t have tickets anymore,’ and he just broke down. As a parent, when you see your kid crying, it just infuriates you.”

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SeatGeek told On Your Side sellers are allowed to reject orders for any reason, but the company offered Fisher a credit to cover the gap for new tickets after prices jumped in the same section. Their offer started at a $400 credit. After our report aired, SeatGeek offered a $600 credit. “They bumped it up a little bit and we took what we got,” Fisher said.

Matt and Leo were set to go to the game, but something changed Saturday night. The baseball-loving duo was watching their favorite team take down the Rangers in Game 2, and they decided maybe they didn’t need to be in the stands for Game 3. “Just thinking how much stress I’ve gone through this entire past week dealing with all this,” Fisher said. “And I thought,you know, things are really great right now. My son is on my chest. All this other bad stuff is happening in the world. We need some good news, so let’s do a good deed.”

Leo quickly agreed, with the promise of some popcorn on the couch. “He’s such a kind good kid and I was very proud of him because there was no hesitation. Just give them to someone else,” Fisher said.

Davis chose to take his assistant volunteer tee ball coach with him to the game. Though the Diamondbacks weren’t victorious in game three, it’s an experience the dedicated volunteers will never forget. “I’ll never stop being amazed by all the goodness that comes out of sports,” Jones said.

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