White Sox sign boy battling cancer to honorary one-day contract

CHICAGO -- The White Sox made four roster moves prior to Monday’s series opener against the Rangers at Guaranteed Rate Field, but none of them had the impact of the honorary one-day contract they extended to 14-year-old Brady Nelson. His contract was signed in the presence of White Sox general manager Rick Hahn and manager Pedro Grifol.

Nelson, a native of Norwood Park, Ill., has been battling glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, since his diagnosis in December 2020 and is scheduled for neurosurgery in the days following his experience Monday with the White Sox. The young man was hosted by Jake Burger, Brady's favorite player, who took Brady and his family -- his mom, Christina, his dad, Eric, his sister, Anna Belle, his brother Jack -- around the clubhouse to get pregame autographs and meet players.

“I’m glad we had a special day like that,” Burger said after his team’s 5-2 loss to the Rangers. “A lot of things are bigger than baseball. That’s how I’ve always viewed it.

“I want to go out and perform each night but some memories and experiences are more important. I want to support him in any way I can and be there for him.”

Closer Liam Hendriks, who is in remission from stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, also spent a significant amount of time chatting with Brady. He took batting practice and not only connected consistently against third-base coach Eddie Rodriguez throwing the pitches, but knocked a couple on the fly to the edge of the outfield grass just behind the infield dirt. Brady also did some infield work with Zach Remillard and Burger.

“Eddie had to pick up the speed a little bit,” said a smiling Burger of Brady’s cage work.

Just prior to the start of the game, Brady took part in a special pregame “Home Run for Life,” running the bases in front of both teams, and then threw out one of the ceremonial first pitches.

According to the release for this White Sox Ultimate Wish fulfillment as part of the Sox Serve week, Nelson is “a lifelong White Sox fan and second baseman who would often complete his regimen of radiation and chemotherapy in a baseball uniform, so as not to miss time getting to practices after treatment.”

It was Eloy Jiménez who dedicated his first home run of the 2021 season to Brady in Kansas City, making good on a promise Jiménez made to Brady on April 10. Brady was battling cancer and Jiménez was coming back from surgery to repair a torn left pectoral tendon, with Brady providing inspiration to the slugger.

• Eloy hosts boy fighting cancer at game

“I’m just trying to get back to playing, but he’s battling for his life,” Jiménez told MLB.com in ‘21 after he met Brady. “That’s the way he helped me.”

As part of Monday's pregame events, a $5,000 check was presented to the Nelson family on behalf of the Andrew Weishar Foundation.

“Try to give him the experience of a lifetime and give him some positive attitude and vibes,” Burger said of the experience. “I’m sure he’s dealing with the mental battle of it as well. If I can be a ray of sunshine and positivity, that’s most important.”