Hours after the Athletics clinched the AL West title before a raucous crowd in Oakland, a member of the team shared tragic news on Twitter. Relief pitcher Pat Neshek tweeted that his newborn son Gehrig John had died unexpectedly less than 24 hours after his birth:
"Our hearts go out to Pat and Stephanee and we share in their sorrow of losing their young son," the Athletics said in a statement, via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. "The entire A's organization will keep the Neshek family in our prayers and thoughts, as they try to come to grips with this tragic occurrence in their lives."
Neshek and his wife Stephanee had previously kept their Twitter followers up to speed about the birth of Gehrig. Earlier on Wednesday, Stephanee tweeted a picture of the three of them and let everyone know that Pat made it home to Florida from Oakland in time for the baby's birth. Both were using the hashtag #playoffbaby.
Amidst her grief, Stephanee continued to share her feelings on Twitter, thanking A's fans for their support.
@athleticsnation thank you all for your thoughts & prayers. Pat and I have read them all & they will help us through this grief.
— Stephanee Neshek (@StephaneeNeshek) October 4, 2012
Athletics fans were not the only ones with the Neshek family on their minds. Pat's teammate Josh Reddick was among the MLB players to tweet support for the couple.
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OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Oakland Athletics relief pitcher Pat Neshek says his newborn son has died.
The right-hander posted on his Twitter account late Wednesday night that he and his wife lost their first child 23 hours after his birth "with no explanation." He asked for prayers, and words of support began flooding Twitter.
Earlier in the day, the A's swept the Texas Rangers to capture an improbable AL West title. Neshek had been away from the club for the final two games for the baby's birth.
The 32-year-old Neshek, acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in early August for cash considerations, was 2-1 for the A's with a 1.37 ERA in 24 appearances and 19 2-3 innings.