Kolten Brasier was no ordinary truant last fall.
The eight-year-old son of Boston Red Sox pitcher Ryan Brasier missed so much school last October his parents had to answer for his absences in a court of law. Brasier revealed in a feature USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale published Wednesday his hometown of Wichita Falls, Texas, summoned him to court in order to explain why Kolten missed 21 days of school. The pitcher’s excuse will delight most of Red Sox Nation: Kolten was watching his dad’s team march through the Major League Baseball postseason and win the 2018 World Series.
“We get home, see the court summons and it was like, ‘What the hell?'” Ryan said. “It was the dumbest thing I heard in my life. It was ridiculous. We even had to hire a lawyer. It was a debacle.
“It wasn’t like we just weren’t sending him to school. There was a reason he wasn’t in school.”
Ryan believes the value of the education Kolten received as a first-hand witness to the Red Sox’s glory outweighs the lessons he missed in the classroom and potential financial penalties.
“It’s one thing if he was in high school or even junior high,” Ryan said, “but he was in first grade. But they could have charged us up to $100 a day for the days missed if it went to an actual hearing.”
The Brasier’s told Nightengale Kolten’s studies are going well, despite his absences earlier this school year.
Red Sox ace Chris Sale is determined to lead the Red Sox to another World Series title and he wants Kolten to be part of the ride again, even if he misses a chunk of classes in second grade.
“I hope (Kolten) he’s back with us in October again,” Sale said. “He loves baseball. He gets fired up being around us, which is great for everyone.
“We know school is important, but come on, to be able to watch your dad in the World Series? That’s a dream we all want for our kids.”
Should the Red Sox triumph in 2019 with Kolten watching, Ryan won’t be blindsided if and when another court summons arrives in his mailbox.
