SAN DIEGO (KGTV) – It’s an understatement to say Ryan Miller and his brother Kevin, a firefighter in Hawaii who also started a surf school there, were close.
“He was brother, my dad, my boss, my mentor, my inspiration and he was that for a lot of people,” Miller said. “Kevin was one of the brightest lights I’ve ever seen.”
Sadly, Kevin Miller’s life was cut short in Oct. 2019 after he struggled with his mental health.
“It was a small island, and you can just tell by the people what showed up to his paddle out was one man can change a lot of lives. Wherever he went, he was taking care of you. He took care of me,” Ryan Miller said of his brother.
On Saturday, Miller made his way to Petco Park to see the San Diego Padres close out the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“The day of the game, I want to bring my brother’s ashes to the stadium. I’m late and I’m putting him into a bag, my nephew texts me and he goes, ‘Hey, Kevin’s here,’ I’m like, ‘What do you mean?’ He sends me a picture of a rainbow over the stadium. So, they call it a rain delay, but I’m gonna go with an Aloha delay,” Miller said.
The old saying is that great things come threes.
“I’ve never heard a roar like that after that last pitch,” Miller said.
First the rainbow, then a Division Series win, and then the San Diego native called on Padres pitcher and hometown hero Joe Musgrove for some help.
“And, sure enough, I see Joe coming up. I was just laser focused and I go, ‘Joe! I got something for you.’ He says, ‘What’s that?’ ‘You know, my brother passed away and, you know, he wanted his ashes on the field here. Think you can help me out?’ He goes, ‘Absolutely,’” Miller said.
A moment that Miller said he couldn’t have scripted any better.
“Watching that happen, it just felt like, ‘Thanks, Kev’; you know, like he was there. It was a magical, magical moment. Massive gratitude to Joe,” Miller said.
Musgrove’s move made sure that the Millers will always be together with the team cherish.
“It’s just going to be that much more special. And anytime I’m wearing brown and gold, or I see that SD logo, it’s just an extra reminder that he’s there,” Miller said.
With his brother’s ashes now forever at Petco Park, Miller’s message to those struggling with mental health and their families is simple.
“Just talk. Get rid of the stigma. Don’t be afraid to talk about it, especially us guys. You know, guys and emotions has always been a weakness. But now we’re going into a new consciousness level. It’s time to talk about it and get some support,” Miller said.
