Phillies welcome all-star fan Joshua Scott
By: Philadelphia Phillies
Tags: Giving, Philadelphia, Kindness, Baseball, Atlanta

It’s been a bit of a whirlwind for the rising high school sophomore since his kind gesture went viral in April.

After snagging a Freddie Freeman home run ball (that is, after dropping it into the Braves’ bullpen twice), the North Carolina-based Phillies fan found a kid wearing a Freeman jersey and handed him the baseball.

The broadcast captured it all and Joshua’s kindness, combined with the hilarity of the catch, blew up on social media. The next day, Joshua and his father, James, were invited back to Truist Park where he was surprised by Freeman himself before the game.

Freeman told Joshua he admired what he did and presented him with a baseball signed by himself and Harper. After seeing a wild Phillies victory, he was even given a game ball and game-used bat by Rhys Hoskins and J.T. Realmuto.

The Phillies organization also reached out right away, sending Joshua a care package including a personalized jersey and plenty of Harper merchandise.

A week later, Joshua appeared on SportsCenter where it was Harper who made a surprise appearance. Over the video interview, Harper invited the Scott family to a game in Philly on the team’s behalf.

That promise was fulfilled Thursday night when Scott, his father, James, and his grandfather, Thomas Jacobs, were treated to VIP behind-the-scenes access to the ballpark before the game.

Joshua even made a home-run appearance in the broadcast booth.

“Joshua was not only engaging and energetic, but his words word wisdom were beyond his years,” Phillies broadcaster Tom McCarthy said. “We always love having guests, but it will be hard to surpass Joshua’s presence.”

“Joshua was unfazed by the entire experience and kept saying how truly appreciative he was,” Phillies Vice President of Marketing and New Media Michael Harris said. “From meeting Bryce, to seeing the World Series trophies for the first time, to completely stealing the show on our TV broadcast.

“He’s a very special kid, from a very special family. Joshua’s selfless act of kindness in Atlanta made our entire organization extremely proud,” Harris added. “It was awesome to finally host him in Philadelphia and we can’t wait to see him at Citizens Bank Park again very soon.”

Joshua’s story may not have even happened if he followed through with his original plan. Both Joshua and James plotted on their four-hour drive to Atlanta that they’d throw any Braves home run ball back on the field.

In the moment, their plans had to change.

“I feel like God gave me the opportunity to actually drop that ball,” Joshua said. “Once you drop the ball, you can’t throw it back. And then I turned around and it gave me the opportunity to see that kid.”

For James, his son’s decision to give away a souvenir from last year’s National League MVP wasn’t just a kind gesture in the moment. It was a perfect representation of the generosity he shows each day.

In 2009, a year after moving from the Philadelphia area to Greenville, James and his wife, Tara, created Freedom Within Walls, an organization dedicated to ending child hunger and providing nourishment for impoverished communities.

The group distributes healthy snacks and meals to more than 5,000 kids per year and has served more than 2,000,000 meals since it began. Its data is currently being tracked by research teams at Johnson C. Smith University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte to measure its full impact.

It’s a family effort. Joshua’s grandfather was even put to work delivering meals when he traveled from his home in South Jersey to visit the Scotts.

Joshua grew up around a culture of giving, doing his part as much as he can.

“During the summer in between sports and stuff, I’m bagging lunches for kids who need food,” Joshua said. “I’m used to it.”

“Honestly, that’s really who he is,” James added. “Literally that’s his rhythm, whether it’s helping out with us, at church or community projects, that’s what he does.

“Nothing bothers him,” James added. “Other than the drop.”

Joshua is an athlete himself. It’s why he got dozens of texts and social media messages from his baseball teammates after they saw him drop a home run ball on TV. He hadn’t made an error in the outfield or at second base all season for his team. So, he was due for some teasing.

His other love his football, where he plays both corner and wide receiver. He recently caught the eye of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney in wide receiver drills at a football camp. He plans to play both throughout high school.

But when he’s not playing sports, he’s watching Philly sports, even from North Carolina.

After an appearance on Philadelphia’s sports radio station WIP, Joshua was told by hosts Jon Marks and Ike Reese that he put the city on his back. Joshua has embraced that, proving to outsiders that Philly fans’ brutal reputation isn’t all true.

“I didn’t do that because I wanted a few laughs or a few views or couple likes,” Joshua said. “I did it because it was the right thing to do. That’s what anyone should do and it’s what God wanted me to do.”

— Beyond the Bell contributor Graham Foley

If you would like to learn more about Freedom Within Walls, please visit freedomwithinwalls.org/.