Girl Surprises 84-Year-Old Dad, a Lifelong Yankees Fan, with World Series Tickets, and His Reaction Goes Viral (Exclusive)

10/30/2024 04:56 PM

Growing up, Jaymie DePalo's dad was always watching the Yankees

• Growing up, Jaymie DePalo's dad, now 84, was always watching the Yankees
• When the Yankees clinched the ALCS this year, the stay-at-home mom of three, 36, knew she had to get her dad, Joe Baal, there
• She texted her sister Jeanne for advice on how to make this happen, and she suggested asking friends and family on Facebook if they would be willing to chip in. After making the post, DePalo had enough support within two hours to send him to the game
• She posted a video on TikTok, surprising him with the tickets; more than 320,000 people have viewed it since

Jaymie DePalo's dad has been a Yankees fan for as long as he can remember. His first game was at 8 years old, which was Babe Ruth's last appearance. So, when the Yankees clinched the ALCS this year, she knew she had to get her dad, Joe Baal, there.

Growing up, DePalo's dad, now 84, was always watching the Yankees. To this day, she says he shares stories with her about the Babe Ruth appearance and how he skipped school to watch Don Larsen's perfect game on TV. "He raised us four kids to be diehard Yankees fans, and when I found out they were going to the World Series, I knew it would mean the world to him to attend his first ever World Series," she tells PEOPLE.

The stay-at-home mom of three, 36, immediately texted her sister Jeanne for advice on how to make this happen. DePalo says it was her sister's idea to ask friends and family on Facebook if they would be willing to chip in for the cost of the ticket. After making the post, DePalo had enough support within two hours to send him to the game.

"By the end of the day, I had enough for his flights and even a few hot dogs if he wanted them. It was surreal!" she says.

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Living in Tampa, Fla, DePalo notes that her family is fortunate to have the Yankees' spring training facility nearby, so they always attended games there. Throughout her life, her dad has taken her on many Yankees road trips to ballparks all over the country, too. Their most memorable experience was in Chicago in 2003, when they saw the Yankees play the Cubs for the first time in 100 years. They were also present for Derek Jeter Day when he retired and at former Yankee Wade Boggs' 3,000-hit game in Tampa.

DePalo adds that her dad is a retired New York City Fire Department (FDNY) worker who helped during 9/11. After the attack, he returned to New York to do grief counseling for the FDNY, where he worked for 19 years until the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, her dad has been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, which is considered a 9/11-related illness.

"It was important to me to take him to a game while he was still healthy enough," she says.

@adorabaal

The greatest honor of my life! I get to accompany my Dad to the 2024 @Yankees vs @Los Angeles Dodgers World Series!!!! #WorldSeriesBound#NewYork#NewYorkYankees#LosAngelesDodgers#speechless#NYY#LAD#mlb#barstoolsports#thegreatest#loveyoudad#yesnetwork#2024worldseries#2024#bronx @MLB @MLBonFOX @YES Network @Capital One @ESPN @MLB Network

♬ original sound - adorabaal

On Wednesday, Oct. 23, DePalo purchased the tickets. She reached out to people at the Yankees and finally got in touch with Disabled Services, who helped her purchase walker-accessible seats in section 314, offering an incredible view of the whole stadium.

Afterward, she brainstormed ways to tell him. While she initially planned to write him a letter, her brother and sister encouraged her to record his reaction. Later, she posted the video on TikTok, which has since gone viral, garnering more than 320,000 views.

"From the moment he started reading the letter, he began to cry," she says. "I talked about how special he is as a retired FDNY member who counsels people dealing with grief and substance abuse, and as a dad who loves us so much."

"Then I tricked him by saying it would have been great to take him to the game, but the tickets were just too expensive," she continues. "On the next page, I told him how stubborn I am and how I never take no for an answer, so with the help of a lot of people, I made it happen. He was in shock, totally speechless. When I asked if he could believe we were going, all he could manage to whisper was, 'nope,' in a weepy little voice."

@adorabaal

The greatest Dad alive! At 84 years old he finally got to attend his first ever World Series! @Yankees #WorldSeries#GOAT#yankees#nyy#nyyankees#mydad#myhero#surreal#fyp#trending#thebest#gamewithdad#thisiswhatdreamsaremadeof#yes#yesnetwork#mlb#bestdayever @YES Network @ESPN @MLB @MLBonFOX @Barstool Sports

♬ What Dreams Are Made Of - Brent Morgan

On Monday, the father-daughter duo boarded a plane in Tampa to New York City for Game 4 of the World Series between the Yankees and the Dodgers at Yankee Stadium.

For the game, DePalo also made her dad a sign that read, "84 years old. Retired FDNY LT. Was at Babe Ruth's last appearance. First World Series!" She continued to share updates on social media.

"So many people stopped to take photos with him or read and comment on his sign," she says. "The highlight of the game was definitely the grand slam by Anthony Volpe to secure the Yankees' lead. Honestly, the whole night was a highlight that will live with me for the rest of my life."

"I hope people realize that dreams can happen no matter what age you are," she adds. "My dad had always dreamed of seeing a World Series game, but it was just never in the cards for him — whether it was financially, the inability to travel, or the Yankees not being in the World Series. I didn't know how many more times the Yankees would make it to the World Series in his lifetime, so it was a no-brainer for me. We were going to the game no matter what!"