Spring training is supposed to be full of hope for baseball, but Dallas Green returned with a heavy heart to the Phillies’ camp Wednesday. The 76-year-old senior adviser to Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. was the grandfather of 9-year-old Christina Taylor-Green, who was killed last month in the Tucson shooting rampage that left six dead and 14 wounded. Green spoke to reporters for 20 minutes, thanking them for respecting his privacy. He said his granddaughter was a “wonderful little gal” and “embodied what’s good about kids.” Green spoke steadily, but his jaw quivered as he told the reporters “you know, I’m supposed to be a tough sucker, but I’m not very tough when it comes to this.” A tear escaped from his eye when he talked about Christina’s brother, 11-year-old Dallas, who has a form of autism but returned to Little League since his sister’s death.
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