Dunn channels Frates' spirit on Gehrig Day

SEATTLE -- Justin Dunn wears Pete Frates on his body every day, whether it’s on his glove, his hat or any sort of athletic wear he takes to the field as a starting pitcher in the big leagues. But above all, Dunn takes the field with Frates on his mind.

Frates, who is widely known for founding the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, has a daily imprint on the Mariners’ right-hander, dating back to their time together at Boston College. That was shortly after Frates was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Dunn was establishing himself as freshman and Frates was working as director of baseball operations.

Dunn’s bond with Frates is why this first annual Lou Gehrig Day carries special weight for Seattle’s blossoming starter. It’s only the third day of recognition of a former player in the MLB calendar -- along with Jackie Robinson Day and Roberto Clemente Day. It represents an effort to bring awareness to ALS research as much as to recognize “The Iron Horse,” one of the greatest players in history.

• Inaugural Lou Gehrig Day: All the details

“Unfortunately, it's baseball's disease,” Dunn said. “It became such a big thing because of Lou Gehrig, and I think it's only right that our league and our game is going to move the forefront of the initiative of trying to promote awareness.”

As he pitched his way toward the Majors, Dunn always had the ambition of eventually making a big league start in front of Frates, who in his final years had limited mobility that prevented him from traveling long distances. So, the only venue that Dunn would’ve had an opportunity to do so was Fenway Park, near Frates’ home in the New England area.

He got the chance to pitch in Boston on April 22, though Frates had already tragically passed in December 2019 after a seven-year battled with ALS. He was 34. Yet the spiritual Dunn, who embroidered “Team Frates Train” on his glove on that cold spring night, felt Frates’ presence within the walls of baseball’s iconic cathedral -- and he wasn’t the only one.

“It was a lot, but while he wasn't there, he was there,” Dunn said. “He was there for sure. I texted my [former Boston College] coach [Mike Gambino] as soon as I came out of the game, and he was there. And I was like, ‘Did you feel him?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, he was [there].’ I don't even know how to put it into words. Just the confidence I had. Just the stuff I had.”

With his own friends and family on hand, including Frates’ brother, as well as many in the Frates’ family watching on TV, Dunn went on to pitch five strong innings in a win over the stingy Red Sox, striking out five and giving up just six hits and two runs. It was one of the early outings in what’s been a strong season for the 25-year-old, and it brought back memories to his final encounter with Frates.

“My final conversation with him was probably about getting to see me pitch in Fenway,” Dunn said. “Yeah, that's what it was. That was what I was looking forward to the most was having his family out and getting a chance for them to see me pitch in Fenway.”

Dunn first met Frates when he was a wide-eyed 18-year-old, and he remembers the encounter vividly. BC had just received new uniforms ahead of the 2014 season, and Frates had some colorful commentary on how much he approved them. That was the year he went on establish the Ice Bucket Challenge, which raised more than $200 million for ALS research, and for the millions of patients and families affected by ALS.

That campaign began as a grassroots effort in the Boston area, where Frates’ influence had impact, but it wound up spreading outside the New England community -- and beyond sports altogether. That summer, celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Justin Timberlake were accepting the challenge, donating to the cause and sharing their videos in the viral movement.

“I'll say, I had no expectations of ever seeing Bill Belichick or the Red Sox or Beyoncé or Jay-Z taking the Ice Bucket Challenge,” Dunn said. “I didn't think it would ever grow to that, to be honest with you. I don't think the Frates family did. But to see the magnitude and the impact is just a testament to who Pete is. And whether you knew him or didn't know him, when you heard his story, and you heard him speak, he was going to have an impact on your life.”

ALS, which causes the death of neurons to voluntary muscles, has always had a tie-in to baseball dating back to 1939, when Yankees legend Gehrig received his diagnosis soon before his emotional retirement.

On Wednesday, Dunn will wear the same cap he does ahead of every game, with “Frates” name across a red patch. He’ll also have “Team Frate Train” on his glove again, just like the one he had at Fenway. And underneath it all, he’ll have an undershirt that reads “PF3” to honor Frates and his former BC jersey number.

“I'm just thankful to finally be at this level and be able to help him and help everybody else who's dealing with it at this level and raise awareness,” Dunn said. “And hopefully, like Pete says, we can get a cure, so no one else has to go through that.

“I got to see the stages of this disease and how it affects not only the person, it affects the family, it affects loved ones; people that care about them. And it's honestly really tragic. And I know Pete made a promise while he was alive, that he was going to do everything he can to create a cure and at least get a head in the right direction make of getting to a cure. And so, anybody who has put on a BC baseball uniform, we're all trying to push forward and live out Pete’s legacy of keep fighting this disease every day until we find a cure.”