In Honor of Nenaw
On the 4th of July, the Railroaders took on the Lake Country DouckHounds and sent the fans at La Moderna Field home happy with a 9-6 win. However, for one fan, it wasn’t the win or the fireworks that he’ll remember. It’ll be the moment he shared with Manager Pete Incaviglia that was 35 years in the making.
In 1989, Nathan Hall and his Grandmother, Bettye Pumphrey, attended countless Texas Rangers games. As a nurse, Pumphrey worked for a family who bought season tickets for the Rangers and any time she received tickets, she would take her grandson.
Hall got picked up from school and arrived at the Ballpark in Arlington, along with his Nenaw, before anybody else showed up. No matter through rain or shine, they would be the first ones in the bleachers. It allowed the young fan to enjoy batting practice and gave him the opportunity to meet his favorite players that he looked up to.
One day, while in line behind the Rangers dugout, kids lined up to receive autographs. As Hall joined the line and waited his turn, two older kids cut in front of him. Feeling discouraged, he left the line and went back to his seat just two rows behind the dugout.
One Rangers player noticed what occurred and saw Hall sitting down with his Nenaw. The player stopped signing autographs, grabbed his pine tar covered bat, and split the two kids who cut in line to walk straight up to Hall and hand him his bat.
“I was starstruck and from that point on he was my baseball hero,” said Hall.
That player was Pete Incaviglia.
Hall doesn’t recall much of that game but that moment with Cleburne’s manager has stuck with him for 35 years.
Now, in 2024, a full circle moment happened between Hall and Incaviglia in honor of his Nenaw’s passing just a few weeks prior to the 4th of July game. Hall brought that same pine tar covered bat to La Moderna Field and had it signed by Incaviglia.
“ I couldn't think of a more fitting thing to do than to have that bat signed by one of our favorite players to watch,” said Hall. “It was such a surreal experience and meant so much more to me than an autograph.”