June 8, 2025 |
Texas Rangers star shortstop Corey Seager is best known for his clutch hitting and cool leadership on the field. But this spring, it was something he did off the diamond that may define his legacy even more—and not a single camera captured it.
In late April, Seager made a private visit to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth after receiving a handwritten letter from the parents of 8-year-old Luke Matthews, a lifelong Rangers fan battling stage-four leukemia. The family hadn’t gone through the team’s PR channels or sought public attention. The letter simply reached Seager through a hospital volunteer who happened to know a member of the Rangers’ training staff.
Seager read it—and came without hesitation.
“He didn’t alert anyone,” a hospital staff member said, requesting anonymity. “There was no PR, no announcements. He just showed up with a glove and a warm smile. It was entirely about Luke, not about Corey.”
Seager reportedly stayed with Luke for nearly three hours. They played MLB The Show on a gaming console in the hospital’s recreation room. Seager helped Luke practice his swing using a foam bat, and they talked baseball—especially about the Rangers’ hot start to the 2025 season and Seager’s stellar return after offseason surgery. But beyond the distraction, the visit gave Luke something his family hadn’t seen in weeks: pure joy.
Corey Seager
“He was laughing again. He was awake. For a while, he wasn’t just our sick son—he was just Luke again,” said his father, Rob Matthews. “Corey promised him he’d hit a homer that weekend for him. And he did—two of them.”
True to his word, Seager launched two home runs in the April 27 game against the Astros—one in the 3rd inning and another in the 7th. When asked postgame about his performance, Seager said simply, “That one was for someone very special.”
But the story didn’t end there.
Luke passed away peacefully five days later, surrounded by his family. At the small memorial service held in Dallas, Seager arrived quietly and sat unnoticed in the back, cap pulled low.
After the service, the Matthews family approached him with a wooden box. Inside: a mint-condition, game-used baseball from Nolan Ryan’s historic 7th no-hitter—signed by Ryan himself, passed down through three generations of the Matthews family. The ball had never been sold or displayed publicly.
Luke’s great-grandfather had attended that legendary game in 1991 at Arlington Stadium. The family had long intended to donate the ball to the Rangers Hall of Fame one day—but after Luke’s experience with Seager, they had a change of heart.
“This wasn’t about baseball anymore,” said Luke’s mother, Sara Matthews. “This was about the person who gave our son peace in his last days. Corey didn’t just make time—he made Luke feel important. This was the one thing we could give that felt worthy.”
Seager reportedly tried to refuse the gift, saying it belonged in a museum. The Matthews family stood firm.
“This was Luke’s wish,” Rob Matthews told him. “And now, it’s part of your legacy too.”
A spokesperson for Seager later confirmed that the ball would not be appraised or sold. Seager had it professionally preserved and placed in a custom display case at his home, next to Luke’s Rangers jersey and a brass plaque that reads:
“For Luke Matthews — A True Ranger. Forever part of the team.”
In an era where professional athletes are often treated as brands first and people second, this story has spread quietly through the Rangers clubhouse—and beyond.
Rangers manager Bruce Bochy, when asked last week if he had heard about the visit, paused and said, “I did. And I’m not surprised. Corey does a lot no one sees. This just happened to reach the light.”
The Rangers organization is reportedly working with the Matthews family to create a youth scholarship in Luke’s name, focused on pediatric cancer support and baseball programs in North Texas.