In the span of two months this season, Brandon Marsh has twice flown across the country to his Georgia home to eulogize two of the most important people in his life.
His father, Jake Marsh, died in April from cancer. Two months later, his best friend, Jacob Cardiello, died unexpectedly at the age of 23 from causes not made public. Both speeches were made at the same church in his hometown.
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Marsh has spent this season on the doorstop of having his lifelong major-league dream realized. He’s also been forced to handle unimaginable loss with little time to cope or process.
When Marsh finally achieved that dream on Sunday, there was a sense from him and his family that it just felt right.
“When he called me (Saturday), I said, ‘Your 2021 is going to get better. It will get better. It’s supposed to be better,’” his mom, Sonja Marsh, said through tears from her seat during the game. “And he recognizes that. He’s a very deep kid. And he’s a sensitive soul. He knows what his purpose is.
“He can’t change his dad passing away. He can’t change his best friend’s passing. So now he just has to live up to what their expectations were.”
Marsh took that emotional first step on Sunday. The Angels’ No. 1 prospect made his big-league debut, starting in center field and going 0-for-4 in the Angels’ 7-4 loss to Seattle.
The game, and his performance, were the least significant parts of the day.
His family brought the ashes of Marsh’s father and held the urn throughout the afternoon. His other best friend, Dillon Vann, fulfilled a promise that he and Cardiello had made to Marsh — that they’d be at his debut no matter where it was. Vann brought Cardiello’s football jersey as a way to fulfill the promise.
The group of eight all came from the East Coast to Angel Stadium on an early Sunday flight. For Sonja, it was a one-way ticket. She plans to be at all Angels games, home and road, for the foreseeable future.
They’re all living out his major-league dream together.
“Bigger stadium. A lot more people. A lot more noise. Better pitching,” Marsh said, describing the feel of his first day. “It was everything that I kind of dreamed of and expected.”
Some of the details of what’s to come for Marsh are still up in the air. How often he’ll start against lefties is a question. How he’ll fit in with the potential returns of Mike Trout and Justin Upton is another.
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There are also going to be fair questions about him remaining healthy — he’s been on the injured list four times in the last three years and missed the entire 2016 season with a back injury.
Those uncertainties can go on the back burner for the short term. For now, the Angels are excited to see what they have in a player who has dominated offensively and defensively throughout the minor leagues.
“From the beginning, when I saw him for the first time, just the way he moves,” manager Joe Maddon said. “We talk about movement a lot. … The body moves very fluidly, and he can do both sides of the ball well. He can play out there, he can hit. He’s got some pop. And he’s really a bright kid. It will be interesting.”
Marsh struck out a couple of times, grounded out and flied out. Eventually he’ll get that first knock.
Sunday, though, was a celebration for those who know Marsh. It was a day to celebrate amid a spring and summer where happy moments have been scarce.
Sonja described her late husband as “a giver” and believed that “maybe this was his gift.” The gift of being there in spirit and making this day happen. He’d believed this summer would be when Marsh would get called up, and Sonja said he did all he could to stay alive to see it happen.
Marsh was close with his father, who was a big part of his baseball career. He was close with Cardiello, who was a high school football teammate. And their deaths have come amid a long baseball season that’s provided Marsh little time off.
“I don’t know if he’s really coped completely, quite frankly,” Sonja said. “I do think he has identified his role as a leader now, in himself. And that’s going to help him be a better player. Maybe coping comes in the offseason.”
Marsh’s family and friends at his debut Sunday. (Photo courtesy of Sonja Marsh)Marsh nearly slept through the news of his promotion. His Triple-A manager tried to get in contact with him by calling his cellphone and hotel room phone while the team was in Tacoma. His girlfriend had to kick him to get him awake. As he slowly opened his eyes, the groggy Marsh grew terrified he’d overslept for a game.
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When he arrived at Angel Stadium, the club had a team photographer stationed at the top of the dugout to capture the moment he walked out to the field for the first time pregame. He went out to center field, not to do any drills. He just stood there, getting a feel for the depth, the angles and the sunlight. He was out there for the first time as a major leaguer — surveying an outfield that he and the team hope he mans for many years to come.
It has been a debilitating year for Marsh in many ways. But this was a moment that he, his family, friends and those he’s lost wanted so badly for him to have.
“We just had a really good personal moment,” Marsh said after seeing his family postgame. “They were just super happy for me. They were just congratulating me. It was just a team effort. I couldn’t be here without them. I was thanking them, just as much as they were congratulating me.”
(Top photo: Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)
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