On Tuesday, the wife, child and mother-in-law of Tampa Bay Rays pitching prospect Blake Bivens were killed in a triple-homicide in Pittsylvania County, Virginia. His wife’s brother, 18-year-old Matthew Thomas Bernard, was arrested and has been charged with their killings. No motive has been publicly identified.
Bivens, accompanied by his manager, Morgan Ensberg, left his minor league team to be with his family immediately upon hearing the news. Ensberg described Bivens’ obviously shocked and disbelieving state during their trip back to Virginia in this story Montgomery Advertiser. It’s a difficult read to say the least. All the credit in the world goes to Ensberg and two team staffers who accompanied him for being with Bivens. It’d be unimaginable to make that trip by oneself.
Late last night Bivens made his first public statement, in the form of an Instagram post. It too is a difficult read. That Bivens can even function right now is hard to fathom. That he can put down words as heartfelt as these at a time like these is a miracle.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1xTxLoAORV/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link