Storyline: “A Highlight for Hailey”
THIS IS THE BACKSTORY. OPEN ON A MAN (NEIL) TALKING TO CAMERA.
NEIL: Hi my name is Neil Potter and I’m a huge baseball fan. I think baseball’s in my blood because my grandparents and my mom and dad loved it and now me, and I’ve passed that gene down to my daughter.
CUT TO HIM HAVING A CATCH WITH HIS TEN-YEAR OLD DAUGHTER.
NEIL(VO): This is Hailey, she turns five on Saturday and I think she loves baseball more than me. Big Yankees fan.
CUT TO THE MAN TALKING TO HIS DAUGHTER.
NEIL: Who’s your favorite player?
HAILEY: Aaron Judge.
NEIL: She loves Aaron Judge.
CUTS OF AARON JUDGE HITTING HOME RUNS IN THE HOME RUN DERBY.
I let her stay up late to watch the home run derby and that was it, he was her favorite player of all time.
CUT TO HAILEY’S ROOM, IT IS ALL PINK BUT FILLED WITH YANKEES STUFF AND AN AARON JUDGE POSTER.
NEIL: I contacted nycHighlight to ask if they could help Hailey catch a baseball. They sent me tickets, a reservations and instructions to meet at a NYC Loft. So now, as a surprise for her 5th birthday, I’m taking her to New York City to Yankee stadium and we’re going to try and catch a baseball.
CUT TO HAILEY HOLDING HER TICKET AND GLEEFULLY GETTING IN THE CAR.
CUT TO EXTERIOR YANKEE STADIUM. IT IS BEFORE THE GAME, AND THERE ARE PEOPLE MILLING ABOUT. A MAN – ZACK HAMPLE IS WAITING FOR THEM THERE. WE NOW FOLLOW THEM THROUGH THEIR GAME.
ZACK: Hi, my name is Zack Hample and I’m a professional baseball collector.
CUT TO ZACK SHOWING OFF HIS INCREDIBLY VAST COLLECTION.
And I can help you catch a ball at a baseball game.
CUT BACK TO THE STADIUM. NEIL AND HAILEY ENTER.
THE MEN INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
ZACK: Ok, great. Hey Hailey, I’m going to help you go home with a baseball today, what do you think about that?
HAILEY: Awesome!
ZACK: Alright, let’s go!
WE FOLLOW THEM TO THEIR SEATS IN RIGHT FIELD DURING BATTING PRACTICE.
ZACK: Ok, what you need to catch a ball is to a. get there early. Batting practice there are a ton of baseballs flying around. B. bring a glove, very important.
NEIL AND HAILEY SHOW OFF THEIR GLOVES.
ZACK: Excellent. And c. probably the next most important, the secret weapon, bring a cute kid! Ball players love to throw baseballs to cute kids.
NEIL PICKS UP HAILEY.
NEIL: Hey Aaron Judge! Look!
THEY ALL LAUGH.
ZACK: Ok, right field at Yankee stadium has a short right porch and so a lot of home runs are hit here.
BASEBALLS ARE LANDING NEAR THEM AND OVER THEIR HEADS. ZACK RUNS AROUND TRYING TO GET ONE. PLAYERS ARE THROWING BALLS INTO THE STANDS AND KIDS CATCHING THEM.
FINALLY A HOME RUN IS HIT AND THE BALL BOUNCES AROUND AND NEIL CATCHES IT!
HE AND ZACH HIGH FIVE. THE DAD HANDS THE BALL TO HAILEY WHO SQUEALS WITH DELIGHT.
ZACK: Mission accomplished! But I think there’s more to be had. Come with me.
ZACK LEADS THEM TO THE RIGHT FIELD FENCE, RIGHT NEAR THE FIELD. THEY HOLD HAILEY UP AND YELL AT THE PLAYERS. AARON JUDGE WALKS UP AND HANDS HAILEY A BALL AND GIVES HER A HIGH-FIVE.
NEIL IS FLOORED. HAILEY IS BESIDES HERSELF AND ZACK IS HAPPY.
ZACK: Wow, what do you say Dad?
NEIL: That's something we’ll both remember for the rest of our lives.
ZACK: And you know what else we have today? The game!
THEY ARE ALL HAPPY. THEY TAKE THEIR SEATS AND GET READY TO WATCH THE GAME.
NEIL: What a day. Boy she was so happy…and so was I. Judge is a very big guy!
SUPER: To see more stories like this, go to nycHighlights.com