Tucson High’s baseball team with the special painting honoring Chris Moon behind home plate at Cherry Field (Javier Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)
The Tucson High baseball family has mourned the loss of two of its own — Chris Moon and Troy Iturralde — and the Badgers celebrated their lives on Thursday as part of the Chris Moon Memorial Classic at Cherry Field.
Moon is a war hero who passed away while in combat in 2010 in Afghanistan as part of the war on terrorism. He was there despite having a scholarship to play baseball at Arizona under coach Andy Lopez after a stellar career at Tucson High as a pitcher who could throw 90 mph and cover the outfield as a centerfielder.
Chris Moon statue at Cherry Field (Javier Morales/AllSportsTucson.com)
Iturralde, a junior at Tucson High, succumbed to testicular cancer in December after he was diagnosed with it eight months previously during the 2021 season.
“This means everything to me,” Tucson High coach Mark Morris said of the annual Chris Moon Memorial Classic held at Cherry Field. “I watched Chris grow up in the church with us. My mom and his mom are great friends. Our kids went to the preschool that Marsha (Moon’s mom) ran.
“It’s kind of heartbreaking because I was coaching first base when I found out Chris had succumbed to his injuries. And this year, I was talking to the team when I found out Troy succumbed to the cancer. So it’s like a little safe haven out here. I feel that they’re with us. It’s a great way to honor all of our military, especially the guys who given their lives.”
.@TucsonBadgers coach Mark Morris talks about how special the Chris Moon Memorial Invitational is to him. The recent passing of his player Troy Iturralde from cancer makes this event/season one with more meaning. pic.twitter.com/MWODFGGzMn
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) February 25, 2022
Tucson High’s head athletic trainer Mike Boese and his daughter Melonie stayed at Cherry Park until 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday finishing a painting in the grass behind home plate that reads “Legacies Alive” with a soldier and the words “Chris Moon Memorial.” (Tucson High photo)
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