In a year in which physical presence has too often been replaced by sometimes fuzzy images of loved ones near and far, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty came through crystal clear Friday afternoon.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the tall, baby-faced right-hander was unable to come into Shriners Hospitals for Children — St. Louis as he has in years past, but instead visited with kids via Zoom from his California home. Though clad in a gray T-shirt and a maroon hat instead of his Cardinals gear, the easy-going 25-year-old brought smiles to those he talked with – even those for whom baseball was a mystery.