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

Mar. 15, 2025

Jaymie DePalo takes dad Joe Baal to Yankee Stadium.Photo:Jaymie DePalo

Jaymie DePalo

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.

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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Jaymie DePalo when she was younger with her dad Joe Baal at a Yankees game.Jaymie DePalo

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.

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 onTikTok, which has since gone viral, garnering more than 320,000 views.

Jaymie DePalo and dad Joe Baal on the airplane to New York for World Series.Jaymie DePalo

“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.”

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.

Jaymie DePalo and dad Joe Baal at World Series game.Jaymie DePalo

“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!”

source: people.com