Tim McGraw showed up for his home team on Tuesday (Nov. 1) night, attending the Philadelphia Phillies’ Game 3 of the 2022 World Series at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The country music superstar had his famous country star wife Faith Hill and the couple’s three daughters, Gracie, 25, Maggie, 24, and Audrey, 20, in tow for the big game, which saw their team beating the Houston Astros in a final score of 7-0.
But what made the night even more special is McGraw was seen sporting his father’s jersey for the game.
A little backstory – McGraw’s father, Frank Edwin “Tug” McGraw Jr. (who affectionately went by the name Tug) was a professional Major League Baseball player. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies years ago as a reliable relief pitcher. The elder McGraw also helped bring the Phillies their first World Series championship in 1980, after doing the same for the New York Mets in 1969. Thus far, the Phillies have celebrated two World Series championships.
At Tuesday’s game, the jumbo tron caught the “I Like It, I Love It” singer in action as he was downing a bottle of water. Philly fans cheered wildly when they noticed McGraw smiling, and punching the air with his fist to show his pride for his favorite MLB sports team. As fans grew louder showing their excitement over McGraw’s presence, the 55-year-old Grammy-winning artist got up from his seat and turned around to reveal his late father’s number 45 spread across the back of his jersey.
“Tug McGraw’s son Tim McGraw is in the house tonight wearing his dad’s Phillies jersey. Ya Gotta Believe!” A video showing the special moment reads on Facebook, calling out Tug’s famous catchphrase.
“Country music star Tim McGraw is wearing his father’s Phillies jersey at tonight’s game 🙌,” another tweet reads on Twitter.
Country music star Tim McGraw is wearing his father’s Phillies jersey at tonight’s game 🙌
His dad, Tug McGraw, won a World Series with the Phillies in 1980. pic.twitter.com/8d49mgABoQ
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) November 2, 2022
Although McGraw didn’t get to know his dad until later on in life, the Louisiana native has been a longtime supporter and fan of the Philadelphia Phillies, especially in the years following his dad’s death in 2004 at age 59.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CkcLwoAOgST/
“When I found out Tug McGraw was my dad, it gave me something in my little town in Louisiana, something that I would have never reached for. How could I ever be angry?” he once told Esquire of his relationship with his father, which formed years after he found his birth certificate in his mom’s closet, which had the name McGraw written on it. “My name was Smith as a kid because my stepdad’s name was Horace Smith. I felt like when I found that out, you know, he’s a professional baseball player who’s successful, to me, it made me think that blood is in my veins, so that ability is in there… so I found sort of that grit inside me that he must have had to succeed at what he did. And it changed what I thought I could make out of my life.”
McGraw even has taken to his social media pages to share his love for the team.
“Let’s go Phillies!” McGraw wrote in a recent post on his Instagram page, alongside a video featuring his dad throwing the World Series-winning pitch for the Philadelphia Phillies 42 years ago in 1980.
That series saw the Phillies going head-to-head with the Kansas City Royals.
After his father passed away from an inoperable brain tumor in January of 2004, McGraw paid a touching and memorable tribute to the late athlete before Game 3 of the Phillies’ 2008 World Series, which was the last time the team won the annual MLB championship. At the time, McGraw threw out the ceremonial first pitch and sprinkled some of his father’s ashes on the pitcher’s mound according to ESPN. That evening, The Phillies emerged victorious, winning against the Tampa Bay Rays in a score of 5-4.
Tim McGraw is in the house. Still remember him scattering some of Tug's ashes on the mound before he threw out a first pitch before Game 3 of the 2008 World Series.
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) November 2, 2022
Thus far, the Philadelphia Phillies have won 2 of their 3 games in the 2022 World Series. There are seven games in total unless one team wins the first four games in the series. That means, if the Phillies take home the next two wins, they will become the 2022 World Series champions. Perhaps McGraw’s presence at the game will bring the team good luck!
