He woke up to hugs, kisses, handmade drawings and his daughters asking to go to the beach. They were dressed and playing in the sand before he even left for the baseball field.

But that didn’t matter to Ryan Smyth. His family was with him on Father’s Day and for the entire summer baseball season, and that’s all he cared about. Smyth’s wife and two young daughters haven’t always been able to be with him during the summer season, so now that he always has a hug and a kiss to go home to at night he doesn’t take it for granted.

“Them being able to be out here for the summer means everything to me,” Smyth said.

Smyth’s wife, Katelyn, and his daughters, Elliana and Rilyn, were in Wareham for Smyth’s first season as Gatemen manager last summer, but this summer it’s even more special. A family who didn’t know what to expect, with daughters who were too shy to talk to anyone except their mom, turned into a group who is known and loved by every member of the Gatemen community.

Six-year-old Elliana isn’t glued to her mom’s side quite as much anymore and two-and-a-half-year-old Rilyn is old enough to play nicely with her sister, letting Katelyn watch a little bit more of her husband’s team — or relax on the beach.

“Leading up to coming out here, they were just so excited,” Smyth said. “They couldn’t wait.”

Whether Smyth’s daughters were more excited about the beach or the baseball is up in the air. But at the end of the day, all he’s focused on is the ability to continue making memories with his daughters whenever he can.

Baseball as a sport is centered around memories, and fathers, for almost everyone who plays. Whether it’s just playing catch in the backyard as a kid or working together as coach and player, baseball players and their fathers often form special bonds that mean more than words can describe.

“I just think it’s a day to reflect on people who have done a lot for you,” Smyth said. “Most of these guys, their heroes are their fathers. They sacrifice a lot for us.”

“(My dad) was the one that kept me in the game, kept me going,” Bobby Boser said about his dad. “He brought me into the sport so I can’t really explain how much he means to me.”

Boser’s father coached him from the time he could swing a bat until Boser started high school, but has stayed as involved in his son’s career as possible.

“He definitely has the dad coach in him of course, but he knows what he’s talking about,” Boser said. “I trust him with everything.”

Boser can still go to his father after his games just like Smyth can go home to his family every night, and both can take the time to either get advice or simply forget about what happened in the game that night.

“Coming home to a hug and a kiss or, even if I’m home late and I get it in the morning, it makes those losses a little bit different,” Smyth said. “And it makes the wins that much better when you’re coming home and someone’s excited too.”

Now, Boser’s father is one of many present on Cape Cod to watch his son. He’ll sit on the same side of the field as Katelyn, Elliana and Rilyn as they all watch their Gatemen work toward their baseball goals and make memories each will treasure for a lifetime.

Top Photo Credit: Ryan Smyth poses with his daughters Elliana (right) and Rilyn (left) at Fenway Park June 9, 2023. Photo by Andrew Duffy.