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Tug McGraw Foundation

@thetugmcgraw

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🧠 Brain wellness programs & Tug’s humor. 🛡️ Supporting the civilian & military brain tumor/TBI community. 🤝 Bridging resources.

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As Christenson recalled, the famously eccentric relief pitcher would walk into the clubhouse and shout loud enough for everyone to hear, "LC, are you pitching tonight?" When Christenson answered yes, McGraw would instantly reply, "Then so am I."

That unbreakable bond between Tug McGraw and Larry Christenson extended far beyond the pitcher's mound. To Tug, LC was his best friend, his brother, and a constant light. Today, the entire Tug McGraw Foundation family deeply mourns the unexpected passing of Larry Christenson.

While baseball history records LC as a tremendous athlete on the field, his true legacy lies in his incredible heart. Behind the scenes, Larry was simply the most generous man you could ever meet. He understood that life’s greatest calling was keeping friendships alive and ongoing, and he had a rare gift for making everyone he met feel truly cared for.

Our deepest love and sympathies go out to his entire family, his beloved teammates, his cherished daughters, Libby and Clair, and to Alison, the remarkable glue of his office and his devoted assistant. Over the past several months, we have had the privilege of working closely alongside LC and Alison. We're committed to continuing the work and making you proud.

Larry, you were a champion on the field, but you will forever be remembered for the boundless warmth and kindness you gave to the world. You made everyone in your orbit feel valued. Thank you for being a friend. Rest easy—your reliever awaits.
#larrychristenson #rip #phillies #leader #friend by @thetugmcgraw

A Moment of Pure Heart ⚾️💙

Sometimes the most powerful moments happen when nobody thinks anyone is watching.

While preparing for our big game this Sunday, we caught 94-year-old Air Force veteran Don "Butch" Kelso in a quiet, beautiful moment of preparation. There he was, at the Yountville picnic grounds, practicing his throw against the very walls that honor the branches of our military.

Watching Butch play catch with the wall—a scene so reminiscent of the simple joys of childhood—reminded us all that the spirit of the game (and the spirit of a veteran) never truly grows old. It’s about more than just practice; it’s about dedication, nostalgia, and the enduring love for the sport.

We are so honored to have Butch as part of our community. His energy is a reminder to all of us to keep swinging, keep throwing, and never lose that childhood spark.

Come out and cheer on Butch and the rest of the team this Sunday! #TugMcGrawFoundation #Veterans #AirForce #BaseballLife #Yountville NeverTooOld ServiceAndSport SundayGame by @thetugmcgraw

The Tug McGraw Foundation sends our deepest condolences to the Koosman family.

Jerry Koosman and Tug were teammates twice, first with the New York Mets and later with the Philadelphia Phillies. They won the 1969 World Series together as Miracle Mets, made the "Ya Gotta Believe" run to the 1973 pennant, and wore Phillies pinstripes side by side again in 1984. Not many friendships in baseball span two franchises and two decades, but theirs did.

Kooz will always be remembered as the lefty who closed out the 1969 World Series. Those who knew him will also remember his humility, his steady presence, and his big heart. We like to think he and Tug are together again, trading stories and laughing like old times.

To Jerry's family, friends, and fans in New York, Philadelphia, Minnesota, and beyond, you are in our thoughts and prayers.

With love and sympathy,
The Tug McGraw Foundation by @thetugmcgraw

Out of this world, our Halloween booth was! 👽🎃

Today the Tug McGraw Foundation joined the Veterans Home of California, Yountville for a Halloween celebration, and we brought a special guest from a galaxy not so far away. Yoda from our Mixed Nutts team was there handing out pencils, pumpkins, Play-Doh and plenty of good vibes. Keeping your brain healthy is serious business, but nobody said it can’t be fun. Squishing Play-Doh, doodling and laughing with friends are all great ways to give your mind a workout. And then there was the piñata… may the force (and a good swing) be with you! 🪅

Thank you to the residents, staff and everyone who stopped by to celebrate with us. Strong minds and full hearts, we have.💚

#TugMcGrawFoundation #YaGottaBelieve #BrainHealth #Wellness #VeteransHomeYountville HonoringVeterans MixedNutts Halloween MayTheForceBeWithYou Yountville NapaValley by @thetugmcgraw

👻 Our special guests have been wrangled! 👻

A huge shout-out to the amazing team at the Napa Home Depot, who went above and beyond to help us track down the very last of these ghostly goblins for Saturday's Halloween at the Home. From climbing the lift to pulling them off the top shelf to carrying them through the aisles, they made it happen with smiles on their faces (and Skelly kept a close eye on the whole operation 💀🧡).

Join us this Saturday, October 31, from 12 to 2 p.m. at the Veterans Home of California, Yountville (100 California Dr.) for music, trick-or-treating, and community with our veterans. And next time you're in the Napa Home Depot, stop by and thank them for going the extra mile!

Halloween at the Home is a collaboration between the Tug McGraw Foundation, the Town of Yountville, and the Veterans Home of California, Yountville.

#TugMcGrawFoundation #HalloweenAtTheHome #Yountville #NapaValley #VeteransHomeYountville HomeDepot TrickOrTreat CommunityStrong HonoringVeterans by @thetugmcgraw

You are never too old to pick pumpkins! 🎃 Under a perfect Napa Valley sky, filling the wheelbarrow with every shape and color of pumpkin and gourd we could find.

There was nothing fancy about it: no special equipment, no big plan, just a field, a wheelbarrow and good company. That's the beauty of it. Getting outside, moving, laughing and sharing a little friendly competition over who found the best pumpkin is real food for the brain. Fresh air, sunshine, purpose and connection are some of the simplest and most powerful things we can do for brain health at any age, and the smiles in these photos say it all. Sometimes the best medicine really is that simple.

A heartfelt thank you to the Regusci family for your continued generosity to our veterans, first responders, and community. Opening your fields to those who serve means more than you know. 🧡 we love you

#TugMcGrawFoundation #YouAreNeverTooOld #BrainHealth FeelGoodForTheBrain Veterans Navy Marines AirForce Sheriff Firefighters FirstResponders Yountville NapaValley PumpkinPatch CommunityLove ThankYou KeepItSimple by @thetugmcgraw

The Tug McGraw Foundation extends our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and fellow actors of Tom Skerritt. Tom was a true class act. We had the privilege of spending time with him, and he had a genuine heart for our veterans, something that came naturally to a proud U.S. Air Force veteran himself. In 2012 he co-founded the Red Badge Project, helping wounded veterans living with PTSD find their voice and tell their own stories. That work speaks to everything our foundation stands for, and his commitment touched so many lives.

Thank you, Tom, for giving us some of the most memorable films of our time. Your spirit will live on through your work and through every veteran you inspired. Rest in peace.

#TomSkerritt #TugMcGrawFoundation #RedBadgeProject #Veterans #PTSDAwareness by @thetugmcgraw

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Borman Field in Yountville, California, for Servers vs. Those Who Served with a friendly softball showdown!”

“I’m Elizabeth Boyd, Air Force veteran and proud Veterans Home resident, and I’ve got the best seat in the house. Today the Bouchon Baguettes take on our very own Yountville Veterans Home Mixed Nutts!”

“Chef Thomas Keller steps to the mound for the ceremonial first pitch… and it’s over the plate! We are underway, folks!

Back and forth they go, and this crowd is on its feet. The Mixed Nutts steps up to the plate, there’s the swing… that ball is going, going… GONE! The only home run of the day, and it belongs to the Nutts!”

“Bottom of the ninth, the Baguettes are threatening… and that’s the ballgame! The Mixed Nutts make toast of the Baguettes, 14–13!”

. . . . .

We are so grateful for our community and the fun we had! An enormous thank-you to the Tug McGraw Foundation, Jennifer Brusstar, the Yountville Veterans Home, the Yountville Fire Department Station 12 and our active service members!

Although the scoreboard shared one type of victory, the real victory was getting together to celebrate those who have served our country and the local firefighters who continue to serve our community. Thank you! by @thetugmcgraw

The magic behind the scenes. Thank you Val and Connie ❤️❤️ by @thetugmcgraw

Servers vs. Those That Served ⚾🇺🇸

What a day at historic Borman Field! The Bouchon Bistro Baguettes took on our Tug McGraw Yountville Veterans Home Mixed Nutts and Yountville Fire Station 12’s Dirty Dozen, and proved that veterans, firefighters and culinary pros are all part of the same tribe. 💙

We honored Chef Thomas Keller in remembrance of his father, Marine Edward James Keller. Melody Neal of Bouchon sang a beautiful national anthem, and Chef Keller threw out the first pitch. The Nutts’ average age is 81 and the Baguettes’ is 31, but 50 years of experience won out. Led by our 93-plus-years-young veterans, Navy Seabee David Budworth and Army veteran Dan McClaster, our Nutts reminded everyone that there are no rules when the Nutts play. 😉

Chef Keller, thank you for all you do for our veteran community. 🇺🇸 A huge thank you to Ericka Briscoe and the Bouchon Bistro Baguettes for giving their day to our veterans! 🥖❤️ Thank you also to PG&E’s Emergency Preparedness & Response team for helping us serve up hot dogs, nachos and strawberry ice cream to our veterans, and for sneaking in a few pinch-hit runs of their own. ⚡😉 And thank you to DJ Wes, Elizabeth Boyd, Ale, Connie Darr, Valerie Kakigi, Kelly E. Carter, the Mixed Nutts Fan Club, Dan McCabe and the Mustang car club, and the Sirs. 🙌

To the Veterans Home Yountville staff, thank you for escorting our residents down to the game. We value you! 💙 Napa Valley Baseball Club, thank you for keeping Borman beautiful! 🌳⚾

Station 12, you show us every day what community is all about. 🚒❤️ Days like this one bring all of us together to further brain health for our veterans and for ourselves. We can’t wait to do it again in 2027!

#TugMcGrawFoundation #MixedNutts #BrainHealth #Veterans #Yountville BouchonBistro ThomasKeller BormanField NapaValley CommunityStrong ServersVsThoseThatServed

-- by @thetugmcgraw

The whole Tug McGraw Foundation family is cheering this weekend as Tim McGraw is inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame with the Class of 2026! 🎶🤠

For more than three decades, Tim’s music has been the soundtrack to American life, playing on back roads and long highways, at weddings and homecomings, and in the quiet moments when we needed it most. It has been the soundtrack for our soldiers, sailors and airmen too, carried overseas on deployments, played in barracks and on ships far from home, and waiting for them when they returned.

“Live Like You Were Dying” has resonated deeply with the community we serve, reminding all of us to make every day count. And with “If You’re Reading This,” you gave so many military families and Gold Star families a voice for their love, their sacrifice and their grief. His songs will be part of our history for generations to come.

We know Tugger and Uncle Hank would be bursting with pride watching you take your place among the legends. Tim, you earned this with your own hard work and heart, and you are a real good man. Congratulations from all of us

. This is the great American dream. We love you! ❤️🤠

#TimMcGraw #CountryMusicHallOfFame #ClassOf2026 #TugMcGraw #TugMcGrawFoundation YouGottaBelieve CountryMusic Yountville RealGoodMan Veterans GoldStarFamilies by @thetugmcgraw

On this Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor Private Frank J. Bell, a Native American soldier born in 1890 on the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota.

In WWI, Frank served as a runner with the 32nd “Red Arrow” Division. Near Gesnes, France, in October 1918, he carried messages through heavy fire, kept going after being wounded, bandaged his own hand, and refused to leave his post. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism.

In 1930, Frank was living at the Veterans Home in Yountville, on the ancestral land of the Wappo people, the first people of the Napa Valley. He passed away that summer.

Today we honor Frank. 🪶

#IndigenousPeoplesDay #NativeVeterans #Wappo #WWI #YountvilleVeteransHome TugMcGrawFoundation HonorOurVeterans by @thetugmcgraw