Rays superfan celebrates 'memories for a lifetime' following team's World Series run
TAMPA, Fla. - It may not have been the final ending to the Tampa Bay Rays' season they were hoping for, but for at least one night, Winter Haven’s Ellis Allanson and his family experienced more World Series memories than they could’ve ever imagined.
“It was a fun experience, wasn’t it? We had a good time. Especially that 9th inning,” said Ellis’s dad, David McQuillen. “He started calling 'walk-off, walk-off.' They walked off and he just started screaming, jumping and hollering.”
“Home plate...boom boom boom and we won!” Ellis said, mimicking Randy Arozarena slapping home plat.
For Ellis, the whirlwind game 4 magic actually started days earlier, when his parents surprised him at work with tickets to see his favorite team play in the World Series.
Those heartwarming moments gripped viewers across Tampa Bay and even caught the attention of the Rays. The team flew out a team-autographed bat to surprise Ellis at Globe Life Field.
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“We never had any intentions of it turning into anything like this. We were just sharing it on Facebook and it just kind of blew up into a big story and the Rays were fantastic,” McQuillen said.
There will always be winners and losers in sports, but some moments are bigger than the game. Ellis proves that.
“Definitely memories for a lifetime. We'll never forget it,” McQuillen told FOX 13.
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