Grateful fans pitch in to make star rookie’s big day
CLEVELAND— Ryan Merritt may soon be up to his neck in blenders, oven mitts and muffin tins.
The rookie pitcher said he and his fiancée, Sarah Brushaber, have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity from Cleveland fans for sending wedding gifts.
Merritt emerged as an unlikely post-season star after pitching 4 1-3 scoreless innings on Wednesday in Toronto, helping Cleveland win the pennant and advance to the World Series for the first time since 1997.
Merritt initially thought the gifts were a gag before realizing that fans had found the couple’s wedding registry and were thanking him. The 24-year-old joked that there aren’t enough gifts left for his friends to buy.
The couple told MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian they were overwhelmed by the unexpected outpouring of generosity.
“Honestly, we didn’t really believe it at first,” Brushaber said. “We just kind of thought it was out there and people knew about it, but it’s just unreal . . . Honestly, I can’t even comprehend that kind of support.
“That people not only care about Ryan’s career, but care about his personal life, is just unbelievable.”
The wedding is on Jan. 27 in Minnesota.
Merritt has no plans to extend his guest list, but said “if more people want to come, I guess they can come. I don’t care who shows up.”