WYMAN AND BOB

The story behind Dee Gordon’s ‘Bigger Than Baseball’ moment at Mariners spring training

Mar 6, 2019, 7:14 PM | Updated: 8:41 pm

Mariners 2B Dee Gordon shares a moment with fan Ann Rogers. (Curtis Rogers photo)...

Mariners 2B Dee Gordon shares a moment with fan Ann Rogers. (Curtis Rogers photo)

(Curtis Rogers photo)

“Bigger Than Baseball.”

That’s the hashtag the MLB Twitter account used when it retweeted an incredible moment shared between Mariners second baseman Dee Gordon and fan Ann “Annie” Rogers of Kent at spring training Wednesday afternoon, and it couldn’t be more apt.

The original post and picture came from Ann’s brother, 710 ESPN Seattle host Curtis Rogers, and it was swiftly going viral. As of 7 p.m. Wednesday night, the original post was nearing 12,000 likes.

How could it not? Ann, who Curtis said is “definitely the biggest Mariners fan I know,” recognized Gordon as he came off the field following batting practice, and the two “hit it off.” Then all of the sudden Gordon began to gift his gear to Ann.

And not just one piece of gear. Just about all of it.

Curtis jumped on with Danny, Dave and Moore at spring training in Peoria, Ariz., not long after the moment to share how the interaction came to be as well as some backstory.

“My sister is 36 years old, she has Down syndrome, she’s been a Special Olympics athlete for as long as I’ve been alive. She competes in swimming every single year, she’s won a whole bunch of gold medals at the state competition,” he said. “(Gordon) pointed out my sister, she was standing there, she recognized Dee Gordon and they hit it off. And then Dee Gordon all of the sudden starts undoing his batting gloves, hands those over. He undoes his arm sleeve, hands that over, and it’s like, wow, that’s awesome. And then to cap it off he hands the baseball bat over.

“I don’t think any of us expected Dee Gordon to go above and beyond the way he did. We’ve only been down here maybe 24 hours. It made the whole week worth it.”

What really makes the moment particularly special is how big of a fan Ann is.

“She is maybe the biggest sports fan I know, outside of me, and she is definitely the biggest Mariners fan I know,” Curtis said. “There is not a game she will miss, there’s not a player on the roster she doesn’t know, and to see her have a moment like that, it got me choked up. I’m not somebody that chokes up like that; it was so awesome to see.

“I don’t think I’m going to have a bad word to say about Dee Gordon again. I don’t know if I ever could say something bad about that guy (before), but it was just an incredible, incredible moment.”

Danny O’Neil, who along with the rest of the Danny, Dave and Moore show was present for Ann’s moment with Gordon, said that while there was a picture taken, Gordon wasn’t being generous just to get attention. Far from it.

“Dee is someone who does an awful lot of things that he doesn’t either seek or want attention for, and this was not in front of cameras or anything,” O’Neil said. “It was him seeing someone who was interested and reaching out and making a connection with someone. It’s really cool to see.”

By the way, while watching the Mariners’ Cactus League game against the A’s Wednesday night, you better believe Ann was wearing that gear Gordon gave her.

Listen to the full segment from Danny, Dave and Moore here.

Watch: Mariners release 4 new commercials for 2019 season

Wyman & Bob

Mariners Roof Report

Brought to you by
Rain then Showers And Thunderstorms
High 54° | Low 41°
Roof is open
Red Sox at Mariners today at 7:10pm

Wyman and Bob

...

Seattle Sports Video

Video: Do the Seattle Seahawks need to trade back in the NFL Draft this year?

Do the Seattle Seahawks need to trade back in the NFL Draft this year? With no 2nd round pick, does it make sense for them to move out of the 1st round? Could any QB entice them to stay in the 1st round? Dave Wyman and Bob Stelton discuss that and what it might mean […]

11 hours ago

Seattle Mariners Bryce Miller Logan Gilbert Bryan Woo...

Brandon Gustafson

Dontrelle Willis: Mariners’ rotation provides ‘quality every single day’

Dontrelle Willis, a former MLB pitcher and current analyst for FOX Sports, gives his Seattle Mariners insight ahead of opening day.

12 hours ago

...

Seattle Sports Video

Video: Can this Seattle Mariners team make a playoff push this season? Bob’s Baseball Breakdown

Bob Stelton of Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob breaks down the state of the Seattle Mariners. With Spring Training in the rear view mirror, what did he see this offseason and spring? This week, Bob answers: – What stood out in Spring Training? – Which M’s surprised him in Spring Training? – Which player has […]

12 hours ago

...

Seattle Sports Video

Video: Has the NFL gone too far with this most recent round of proposals?

Has the NFL gone too far with this most recent round of proposals? Are rule changes like the kickoff and scheduling changes to Christmas a sign of too much change? Dave Wyman and Bob Stelton discuss that and just what it might mean for the future of the NFL. Is too much change impacting the […]

1 day ago

...

Seattle Sports Video

Video: Would DK Metcalf’s tackle be illegal under the new NFL hip drop rules?

Would the famous DK Metcalf’s tackle be illegal under the new NFL hip drop rules? What will the NFL look like in a few years if they keep changes rules like this? Dave Wyman and Bob Stelton discuss that and what it might mean for the game of football in the future. Is this rule […]

3 days ago

Seattle Seahawks Sam Howell...

Brandon Gustafson

Schneider on if Sam Howell impacts Seahawks in the NFL Draft

Does trading for Sam Howell preclude the Seattle Seahawks from taking a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft? Here's what John Schneider said.

5 days ago

The story behind Dee Gordon’s ‘Bigger Than Baseball’ moment at Mariners spring training