Rick McCrabb
Journal-News, Hamilton, Ohio
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — When a LaRosa’s driver delivered two pizzas to all four Middletown fire stations Friday night, the firefighters were “a little confused,” said firefighter Capt. Jon Harvey.
No firefighters had ordered pizza.
The receipt only read: “Go Red Sox,” Harvey said.
https://twitter.com/walthamfire866/status/1451700831431036931
The firefighters later learned that Middletown native and Boston Red Sox first baseman Kyle Schwarber sent pizzas to Waltham, Massachusetts, firefighters and police officers so they decided to “pay it forward” and send pizza to Middletown firefighters, Harvey said.
“It was pretty awesome,” he said. “Quite the surprise.”
Harvey, a Middletown firefighter for 27 years, member of Firefighters Local 336 and 4th district vice president at Ohio Association of Professional Firefighters, wasn’t surprised that Schwarber was behind the kindness.
“He’s all around great guy,” Harvey said of the former Middie standout. “He does all kinds of stuff. He’s always giving back. That’s a good lesson for everybody.”
https://twitter.com/WalthamMAPolice/status/1451694804954402821
Schwarber’s takeout name was “Kyle from Waltham,” and he ordered 25 pizzas, according to the Waltham firefighters from Local 866.
Both police and fire departments were grateful for the support, tweeting: “Special Thank You to @kschwarb12 for hooking up the men and women of Waltham Fire Department with pizza for tonight’s game. LETS GO RED SOX!” and “Thanks to #kyleschwarber for springing for pizza for the @WalthamMAPolice & @WalthamFireDept. On the night of the big game, our home town Red Sox showed what a class act is! Go @RedSox! Time for another title in Titletown!”
https://twitter.com/WalthamFireDept/status/1451668877146984452
It’s unclear if Schwarber will be back in Boston for another season.
Schwarber, who was non-tendered by the Chicago Cubs last winter, signed a one-year $10 million deal with the Washington Nationals that included a mutual option for 2022. He probably will decline his part of that option, allowing him to re-enter free agency.
“It’d be pretty stupid not to think about (returning),” Schwarber, 28, told the Boston Globe. “My team here has been unbelievable. ... If they feel like they would like to talk about (a new deal), I’d be all ears. I just think it would be stupid to ‘X’ someone off for no reason. Especially for a place like this.”
This season, Schwarber hit .266 with 32 home runs and 71 RBIs.
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