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This adorable dog was headed for the pound until Yu Darvish showed up

chris cwik
Staff writer

Being a successful major-league pitcher is all about stepping up when it matters. In big moments, you want the guy who is willing to answer the call and come through when the season is on the line.

Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish proved that trait extends beyond baseball Friday. When Darvish saw a Twitter post about a dog in dire need of a new home, he decided to take action.

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On Thursday, Danny Balis, a radio producer in Texas, posted a message asking his followers to help him find a new home for a dog named Sage. Balis, who works on an afternoon radio show for The Ticket in Dallas, goes by “Larry Skywalker” on Twitter.

As you can see, time was of the essence. If Sage was not adopted by Friday, she would have to go to the pound. According to a GoFundMe set up for Sage, she was found as a stray in the Dallas’ Lakewood neighborhood. She was in bad shape and taken to a local vet where she required surgery. She’d been in foster care, hoping for a forever home.

That’s when Darvish stepped in. The 30-year-old pitcher saw the Twitter post and expressed interest in Sage. Less than 24 hours later, Darvish responded to the original tweet saying he adopted the dog.

It appears Darvish saw the original post after Rangers reporter Emily Jones shared it with her followers. Darvish contacted the number listed, met Sage and decided to take her home. It all sounds pretty surreal, but it actually happened.

Give us a minute, it’s getting a little dusty over here.

Darvish told reporters in the Rangers clubhouse that he’s always been a dog lover. He grew up with four dogs and Sage is the sixth in his house now. According to Stefan Stevenson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Darvish wasn’t trying to get another dog, but couldn’t shake the thought of, “what’s going to happen to her if nobody picks her up?”

As a dog lover, he also had a few words for people who neglect their dogs:

“Before you get a dog think about what you need to do to take care of it,” he said. “I don’t want people to think, ‘oh, he can take care of 20 dogs, 30 dogs. I got what I can be responsible for. Make sure you take care of your dog.”

It’s easy to be cynical about social media, but stories like this prove it’s not all bad. Twitter provides a way for users to communicate instantaneously with a large audience. When used for good, it can help families reunite with lost pets or, in this case, help an animal find a new home.

Good work by everyone involved here. Balis set out to ensure Sage wouldn’t have to go to the pound and succeeded thanks to the kindness and concern of others. Because of them, Darvish was able to see the post and give Sage a new home.

It’s stories like this that fill you with hope and optimism. We can all use a little bit of that from time to time.

Yu Darvish gave Sage a new home. (@badkaratemovie)
Yu Darvish gave Sage a new home. (@badkaratemovie)

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik