By Kendall Baker | Axios Sports
Thank you to the 1,021 people who replied saying why they deserved a Diamondbacks jersey. Some were hilarious, some were absurd, and all were a ton of fun to read.
Catch up quick: On Tuesday, I mistakenly wrote that the Diamondbacks had lost 20 straight games, rather than 20 straight road games. To make up for it, I decided to give away a Diamondbacks jersey and asked you to write in explaining why you deserved it.
The latest: Arizona lost their 23rd straight road game on Thursday, setting a new MLB record. … Meanwhile, the Orioles suffered their 19th straight road loss.
Here’s your winner: Ryan Doll, a first lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.
Kendall, I would venture to say I have a good reasoning to earn the jersey because of what I would plan to do with it. Let me explain…
My good friend, a huge Diamondbacks fan, and I are currently stationed together in England with the U.S. Air Force. We’ve known each other since 2017 and serving together has definitely brought us closer together.
Just as we entered lockdown in England (which has been one of the lengthiest in the world), his mother passed away unexpectedly just outside of Phoenix. If lockdown wasn’t hard enough on a single guy, unable to interact with anyone, this just made it even harder.
Then a week ago, he found out his dad has cancer and he’s having to return to the states on emergency leave once again, with risk of losing both parents within a two-year span, all while be stationed overseas.
Would love to be able to give him a token of encouragement as he travels back to Arizona to now take care of his dad.
Response: Ryan, you’re a great friend. Thank you both for your service. We’re definitely hooking him and his dad up with jerseys, and I’ve contacted the Diamondbacks to hopefully get them more than that.
