Smokies ‘biggest fan’ returns to games after stadium announcer sells family his car

KODAK, Tenn. — The Smokies Baseball crew is rejoicing at the return of their largest lover — 14-year-previous Mason ‘NooDy’ Millsaps.

He couldn’t incorporate his pleasure possibly. As his spouse and children pulled off Exit 407 into Kodak, he immediately started out singing “Go Cubs Go.” His mother and father, Carrie and Wesley, mentioned it is really element of their regimen coming to the ballpark.

“He is so psyched. I feel he got up at 6 o’clock this morning,” said Carrie Millsaps, NooDy’s mother.

It really is a schedule they’ve missed for the previous week. On July 15, the family’s van was stolen off of I-40. So was NooDy’s pink stroller and sentimental baseball glove.

The family members was heading back from a Smokies match when their red van started off to crack down. They pulled off to the aspect of the road and experienced to get a experience property. They came again the upcoming working day and the car or truck was absent.

The household had to miss the relaxation of the Smokies online games that weekend.

The Millsaps’ van and specialized stroller were being inevitably recovered, and suspects had been identified thanks to tipsters, according to the East Tennessee Valley Crime Stoppers.

Even so, the family members explained the van was not usable just after it was recovered. They stated that the van’s motor was blown, the radiator was ruined and the tires ended up replaced. The again close was also smashed, the household reported. 

They mentioned the stroller was not in the vehicle, but soon after the intruders have been questioned law enforcement were being able to find it in a wooded place.

The baseball glove was also recovered a couple times later on by some hunters in the woods. NooDy was ready to decide up his bat bag and glove at the Knoxville Police Department on Monday.

“Experienced our community not cared as much as they did we would not have these things back again. I’m eternally grateful to have Mason’s own belongings,” Carrie claimed in a Fb article.

When the van was a reduction, the group did not allow the household down. Friends, loved ones, and other community associates lifted far more than $10,000 for the spouse and children to get a new car.

The relatives didn’t have to look significantly for the best fit. 

“We ended up equipped to get a car from George, the PA announcer listed here. We fulfilled this 12 months whilst enjoying trivia in the course of the offseason,” Carrie stated. “He messaged me and advised me he had a motor vehicle that he quite possibly wanted to market us if we ended up interested.”

George Yardley has been the stadium’s public handle announcer for 24 years. He mentioned he enjoys watching NooDy’s enthusiasm at the park.

“NooDy has been a longtime fan,” George mentioned. “His moms and dads deliver him and he is just pretty, really enthusiastic about his appreciate for the recreation.”

Carrie stated Yardley supplied to offer them his motor vehicle for a decreased value.

“It was a 2011 car or truck, newer than any motor vehicle we have ever had. And we received there and picked it up yesterday,” Carrie reported.

NooDy was also pretty excited about the new utilised vehicle.

“We seemed at the motor vehicle as a wonderful car or truck. And, we jumped on it,” claimed NooDy’s father, Wesley. “As shortly as we did, the initial point Mason claimed was, ‘Baseball, baseball, baseball, baseball.’ He understood it was time to go to baseball again.”

So, Carrie, Randy, and ‘NooDy’ Millsaps drove from their dwelling in Madisonville all the way to Kodak Tuesday evening for the activity. Although the drive is almost 2 several hours very long, it’s one particular of their most loved issues to do as a loved ones. It indicates they are headed to a Smokies baseball activity, which Carrie mentioned is NooDy’s ‘happy place.’

“It’s interesting. It transpired a ton a lot quicker than I imagined it would. So I necessarily mean, I’m just so grateful for everyone,” Carrie said.

The stadium is happy to have them again, way too.