Heavy/Getty Ariana Madix and Scheana Shay of "Vanderpump Rules."
Scheana Shay realized a lifelong dream – and she had her husband, daughter, and best friend by her side. The “Vanderpump Rules” star was front and center at a June 2023 San Diego Padres game after being recruited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch ahead of the team’s game against the Chicago Cubs.
But this was no ordinary first pitch for the Bravo star and her crew.
Here’s what you need to know:
Scheana Shay Honored Her Late Aunt, Shirley Burkovich, on the Baseball Field
On June 3, 2023, Shay and her husband, Brock Davies, toddler daughter Summer Moon, and best friend and VPR co-star, Ariana Madix, were at the Padres home field, Petco Park in San Diego, for their first pitch duties. The group wore matching pinstriped Padres jerseys and brown baseball caps with the team’s logo on them. The back of Shay’s #7 uniform revealed her married surname, “Honey Davies.”
Shay, 38, showed off her pitching form in a video a video shared on Instagram. She also told TMZ of the experience, “This has been a dream of mine.”
She explained further in the caption to her Instagram post, telling fans that her “7 year old dream” came true with the invite to throw out the pitch at the MLB game. Shay revealed that she started playing baseball as a teen after seeing the hit Penny Marshall movie, “A League of Their Own,” which featured her late great aunt, Shirley Burkovich, who was a member of the Rockford Peaches baseball team.
“It was always a dream of mine to throw out the first pitch at a professional game when I grew up,” Shay wrote. “Well, we did it! I hope I made my angel Aunt Shirley proud in heaven 🤩⚾️.”
Fans and celebrity friends, including “Vanderpump Rules” co-star James Kennedy and “Southern Charm” stars Madison LeCroy and Olivia Flowers, reacted to the post.
“My two fave parts: seeing kick a** pitches and seeing Honey Davies on the back of your uniform,” one commenter wrote.
“What a thrill this must have been for you and your family and close friends!! Congratulations, Scheana!!⚾️😊 I’m Sure Your Aunt Shirley was So Proud of You and Rooting You On from Heaven!!🌟💖,” another fan wrote.
Scheana Shay’s Aunt Shirley Passed Away in March 2022
Scheana Shay has been vocal about how her aunt inspired her to play baseball. The “Good as Gold” singer previously told Us Weekly, “My great aunt Shirley was a member of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, on the Rockford Peaches.”
“I was a softball pitcher after I played baseball,” Shay also told the outlet.
She even talked about her famous aunt in a “Vanderpump Rules,” season 8 episode in which the employees of Lisa Vanderpump’s SUR Lounge played a softball game against the employees of the spinoff bar, TomTom. Shay was the pitcher in the game, which saw her SUR team take the win.
Shay also had her famous aunt as a guest on an episode of her “Scheananagins” podcast in 2020.
According to MLB.com, Burkovich played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) from 1949 to 1951 and was an original member of the Rockford Peaches, where she played every position except catcher during his career. The baseball legend died on March 31, 2022, at age 89.
Shays’ mom, Erika van Olphen, posted a tribute to Burkovich following her death. Family photos included Burkovich during her baseball heyday and a photo of her holding baby Summer Moon just after her birth in 2021.
“Heaven gained an angel today!” van Olphen wrote. “Our family’s own little “Rockford Peach”🍑 ⚾️ Aunt Shirley was the brightest light and lived such an amazing 89 years, which for me wasn’t long enough!”
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