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Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Jean Segura was back to work on Friday night, one week after the tragic death of his nine-month-old son Janniel. The Brewers had stated they were willing to give Segura as much time as he needed to grieve and refocus. However, as Yahoo's Tim Brown wrote, it was important for Segura to get back to his teammates and his friends as his healing process begins.*
"God helped me to get through this," he told them. "My family, my friends, my teammates, the organization. This is something I can't control. I just pray to God to get me through the right way. Whatever he gives to us is the best way in life."
Therefore, he said: "It's important to me and to members of my family [for me to play.] It was a tough moment for me and my family, but being here is awesome – in the same locker room with my friends and teammates, to see the support they all give to me, even other teams. … I feel strong to be here, to work, and do the best I can to help the team."
Familiar sights, sounds and surroundings bring comfort, and for Segura that means rejoining the Brewers fight for a spot in the postseason.
However, what Segura might not have expected, at least not on Friday, was the incredible outpouring of support he received from the fans in attendance. The Brewers returned from the All-Star break on the road in Washington, away from the familiar surroundings of Miller Park, but Segura was treated as one of their own as he received a very warm ovation from the home fans and visiting Brewers fans at Nationals' Park prior to his first at-bat.
Jean Segura was quite moved by the ovation tonight at Nationals Park. "It felt nice that they care about the players."
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) July 19, 2014
Sometimes, we forget that baseball players are human too. Every now and then, they need a hug or a pick-me-up just as much as anyone else, and the 39,373 fans at Nationals Park on Friday provided that and then some for Jean Segura.
Good job, Washington.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Townie813