Jon Gray spent seven good seasons with the Colorado Rockies to begin his MLB career. After the club drafted Gray with the No. 3 pick in 2013, he quickly rose through the ranks and became one the club’s better rotation arms by 2017.
Even if injuries — and a truly baffling 2018 season —got in the way of his success at times, there was no question Gray enjoyed pitching in Colorado. He made his name there, he put down roots there, he made friends there.
But baseball is a business, and sometimes, no matter how much you love a city, you have to move on. Gray was forced to do that this offseason after the Rockies declined to extend a qualifying offer to the righty. He signed a four-year, $56 million deal with the Texas Rangers in December.
Fortunately, the Rangers play in Denver this week, allowing Gray to return to the city where he became a pro and, oh man, he couldn’t wait to reconnect with old friends.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t find them.
Before Jon Gray left Denver, he befriended a family of neighborhood squirrels. He fed them almonds and they would sit on his shoulder and hang out.
With the Rangers in town, Gray said he walked to his old house to see if the squirrels remembered him. But he couldn't find them.
— Nick Groke (@nickgroke) August 24, 2022
I say this without any hint of sarcasm: I’m honestly devastated for Jon here.
Imagine going to your old neighborhood, where everything is exactly how you left it, but the inhabitants are all gone. It would feel lifeless, empty. It would almost ruin the good memories you have of the place.
These weren’t your run-of-the-mill friendly college campus squirrels. Gray’s relationship with this squirrel family clearly ran deeper.
How can you not feel for him?
Hopefully Jon has a picture around of his former neighbors and we can get the word out. In the meantime, please, Coloradans, keep an eye out for this family. They respond positively to almonds. They also like to sit on shoulders and may reside in the Denver metro area.
