PHILADELPHIA — Mason Black and his younger brother were surprised when they found Phillies tickets for a playoff game on their dresser on the morning of Oct. 7, 2011.
Their dad had said he wanted to take his sons to the game because Mason Black was not only a big Phillies fan, but his favorite pitcher, Roy Halladay, was pitching that night in Game 5 of the NL Division Series.
“They found them and came running downstairs and were like, ‘What are these?’” said the boys’ father, George Black.
“I said, ‘We’re going tonight!’ They almost came out of their shoes.”
Thirteen years later, George Black and his sons were back at Citizens Bank Park and Mason was very much in his shoes — more like his cleats, as the right-handed starting pitcher made his major league debut for the San Francisco Giants against the Phillies.
“I tried not to look up too much,” Black said. “Just kind of keep the focus on the plate and where I was.”
The Giants rookie had parents George and Tara, younger brother Dixon, and more than five dozen other relatives and friends rooting for him on Monday.
Mason Black received a standing ovation from several sections of the ballpark after he was lifted with one out in the fifth and the Giants trailing 5-0. His line: eight hits, five runs, three walks and four strikeouts in a 6-1 loss to the Phillies.
“It means a lot, being close to home,” said Black, who talked to more a dozen media members outside the clubhouse. “I felt that. Being (a travel day), I wasn’t able to see every single person out there. But it was incredible.”
Giants manager Bob Melvin said Black pitched well enough to earn another start.
Mason Black was raised in Archbald, Pennsylvania, and attended Valley View High School. The 24-year-old Black was the Giants’ third-round pick in the 2021 draft out of Lehigh University.
Much like George Black surprised his sons with tickets in 2011, Mason had a surprise for his parents when he texted on the family chain Saturday he was getting called up from Triple-A Sacramento.
George is usually the first to respond to family texts but he let them go unread because he was driving. Mason decided to just call his dad.
Mason told his dad he was packing: “I’m going to Philly.”
“I’m like, what? Let me pull over,” George Black laughed from his seat in row 31.
Scores of fans cheered from section 126 all the way to the cheap seats in section 426 when Black took the ball in the first inning.
How’s this for a debut? Black recorded a 1-2-3 first inning that included strikeouts of J.T. Realmuto and Bryce Harper, the latter caught looking at an 88 mph changeup.
George said that regardless of the outcome, having a player like Bryce Harper is a success because of his high level of skill and talent.
Dad spoke before Harper hit a three-run homer off his kid in the fifth inning, giving the Phillies a 4-0 lead.
Whether they won or lost, nothing could ruin the day for the family.
The 61-year-old father said that success for him was not just about wins, losses, and strikeouts, but also about the moment his son stepped on the pitcher’s mound. It was a proud moment for him and his wife.
Mason, brought up to replace Blake Snell on the 15-day injured list due to a left adductor strain, grew up supporting players like Halladay and Pat Burrell, who is now the Giants’ hitting coach.
George Black, unlike his son, was a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates when he was younger.
Before his son got drafted, Roberto Clemente was George's favorite player, but now his favorite is Mason.
