Kaiser Carlile was your average 9-year-old who was a batboy for the Liberal Kansas Bee Jays; a team in the Amateur National Baseball Congress. During their World Series game on Saturday, Aug. 1, Kaiser ran on-deck to retrieve a bat and was accidentally struck in the head by a player taking a practice swing. Though he was wearing a helmet when he was struck, Kaiser passed away on Sunday, Aug. 2. Kaiser would've started his fourth-grade year this month at Sunflower Intermediate School.
Since the tragic accident the Bee Jays have suspended using batboys and batgirls. Chad Carlile, Kaiser's father, says that he wants the program to continue because it was a great opportunity that should not be taken away from other children. Kaiser was more than a batboy to the Bee Jays and many players described him as a "little brother" and the "spark plug" of the team. To honor Kaiser, the Bee Jays held a moment of silence for him during their Aug. 4 game along with having Kaiser's younger sister throwing out the first pitch. The team has also incorporated his initials, KC, into their uniforms so every game is played in his honor. Kaiser's funeral is set for Tuesday, Aug. 11. Visitors are asked to dress casual and Bee Jay's attire to remember Kaiser's love for baseball and the team that meant the world to him.
"When we showed up every day at the park, the smile on his face turned a smile on everyone else's face," Adam Anderson, Bee Jays coach.
"Kaiser will always hold a special place in my heart... I'll never step foot on a field and not think of him." Brady Cox, Bee Jays infielder.
Kaiser was an organ donor and has saved the lives of two children. Chad said it wasn't a hard decision to donate Kaiser's organs
"...when you know that he is on that final thread and there's two other kids that are going to live forever because of that,"
Chad describes how reassuring it is for him to know that his son passed doing what he loved most and his last moments were spent on the field. Kaiser was a young boy taken too soon but his kind heart and positive spirit that will live on forever. Heaven gained a beautiful little angel and the best batboy; I know you're up there right now hitting some homers lil' man.
