Liam Castellanos will be cheering on his dad for the rest of the Phillies’ postseason run
The “Liam path” will continue to be well traveled by the Phillies’ honorary member of the clubhouse.
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You can expect to see more of Liam Castellanos.
Nick Castellanos’ 10-year-old son Liam, who lives in South Florida, is here for the rest of the Phillies’ postseason ride, his dad said Tuesday ahead of Game 2 in the National League Championship Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
“He gets really excited about it,” Castellanos said. “He looks at the game the same way that I look at the game — it’s like looking forward to Christmas morning.”
From witnessing his dad make history this postseason to joining the party after the Phillies clinched the NLDS over the Atlanta Braves, Liam has become an honorary member of the clubhouse and the Philly community.
In Game 1 on Monday, Castellanos became the second player in postseason history to hit five home runs in three postseason games. He joined Reggie Jackson as the only players to do so.
Liam, sitting in the Diamond Club at Citizens Bank Park, ran down the stands to the corner of the Phillies’ dugout to cheer his dad on after the home run.
» READ MORE: Phillies’ Nick Castellanos is ‘locked in’ at a historic playoff pace
Fans have referred to that lane he runs down as “the Liam Path.”
“It means a lot,” Castellanos said about the Philly community embracing their relationship. “But I’m not going to lie, everybody knows what Liam looks like — it makes me nervous. I have those feelings also. He’s my firstborn son. He’s my everything.
“I’m sharing him with the city of Philly, he’s loving it, so for that I get very excited, but there’s a part of me that’s a little bit nervous about the whole thing and the exposure. But relationships build with trust — it’s fun to watch.”
Most days at home, the two will talk ball. Liam has taken a liking to baseball and has also picked up jiu jitsu. Castellanos knows he won’t be there for every moment of Liam’s life. It’s the bittersweet aspect of the job, but he tries to find a balance.
“I can teach him lessons about hard work and perseverance by coming out with achievements here,” Castellanos said. “Watching a very hardworking individual achieve something great. He gets to be around it, see it, and listen to it.
“I tell him all the time ‘What he’s experiencing is special, so cherish it.’ It’s one of those things he’s not going to understand til he’s older.”