Texas school shooting hits ‘close to home’ for Rays pitcher

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The mass university shooting in Uvalde, Texas, was in particular disturbing for Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Brooks Raley.

The tiny local community of about 16,000 folks west of San Antonio is the still left-hander’s hometown. He attended university in the developing where the taking pictures occurred, and his mom and dad and a brother nevertheless reside there.

“It’s a really little city,” Raley explained Wednesday. “News travels rapidly. My spouse and children is nonetheless there, my brother life there, and his wife and daughter. So it hits shut to house.”

Raley, 33, was in the Rays’ clubhouse at Tropicana Industry less than an hour in advance of a activity from the Miami Marlins when he figured out 19 small children and two adults experienced been gunned down at his previous university.

When earning it obvious he did not want to talk about any political implications of Tuesday’s capturing, Raley acknowledged the information is tough to digest.

“I was just sitting in listed here and heard a thing and didn’t definitely stick to up simply because we ended up about 40 minutes prior to the recreation. I bought to communicate to my parents, just to get a small little bit of background and get as much information and facts as you can,” he explained.

“I did go to that school. I walked those people halls, so I can consider what they encounter every single day, and I’m sensation for that group,” Raley included. “It’s smaller and a near-knit group, so it is certainly rough. I really do not know if there’s just about anything I can do. It is likely to choose time.”

Raley, a two-activity star at Uvalde Substantial University, has not lived in his hometown considering the fact that heading off to college or university at Texas A&M, in which he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2009. He at present resides in College or university Station, Texas, with his spouse, Rachel, and their 3 daughters.

“It’s the most important metropolis west of San Antonio,” he explained of his hometown. “I imply, we’ve acquired an HEB and a Walmart and a couple quickly-foodstuff joints. Not a whole large amount there.”

His hesitancy to discuss the tragedy publicly is partly because of to all the unanswered issues, Raley explained.

“It’s just a tragedy. Certainly rising up there and going to that college, it type of hits house,” the pitcher stated. “Having younger small children myself, you just feel for people families, and you pray for them and your ideas are with them.”

Raley is in his to start with time with the Rays. The remaining-handed reliever was 1- with a 2.25 Era and three will save in 14 appearances entering Thursday night’s match versus the New York Yankees. He produced his big league debut with the Cubs in 2012 and has also pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and Houston Astros all through his job.

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