Cubs star Kyle Schwarber surprises 10-year-old with Batmobile ride
Dec 13, 2016, 4:14 PM
Chicago Cubs outfielder Kyle Schwarber returned Sunday to the city where an injury cost him all but six games in the 2016 season.
This time, he visited Phoenix to surprise 10-year-old friend Campbell Faulkner. HopeKids Arizona put together an event that allowed Faulkner, who is fighting a rare mitochondrial disease, to be Batman for a day, and Schwarber played the biggest — and arguably the most fun — role.
He got to drive the Batmobile with Faulkner as his passenger, according to MLB.com.
What a way for us to spend a Sunday night! Went to the Bat Cave and drove the batmobile with Campbell and his family! #campbellscrew pic.twitter.com/xL7nByFIIR
— Kyle Schwarber (@kschwarb12) December 12, 2016
“I drove it for about an hour,” Schwarber said. “I drove his family all around the block. Usually it’s a police officer who drives it, but they let me drive it. I was doing burnouts and everything in it — I wasn’t really a good example. I was being a little kid right there. Why not drive it the way Batman drives it?”
The Cubs’ star met Faulker at a Mesa, Ariz. spring training game in 2015, and the two became friends.
When Schwarber injured his knee against the Arizona Diamondbacks on April 7, his second outing of the season, Faulkner sent him emails of encouragement as the baseball star rehabbed his knee injury. Schwarber returned to play five games to help Chicago win the World Series.
Credit Faulkner for giving Schwarber a little inspiration, and credit the Cubs outfielder for paying it back.
“He’s a person you look up to because he’s faced a lot of adversity in his life and he’s only 10 years old,” Schwarber told MLB.com. “He’s faced it with a big smile on his face. It was definitely something I could relate to, going through my little injury. He’s someone you look up to every day.”
Thank you @kschwarb12 for visiting our friends @coltencowellfdn to support our HopeKid Campbell @Campbellskru! pic.twitter.com/ragzxCMf6t
— HopeKids AZ (@HopeKidsAZ) December 13, 2016
