League Retires Number of 14-Year-Old Boy Who Died

Friends and family gathered Monday night to honor a young athlete who died earlier this year.

A memorial service was held in Washington Township, New Jersey at 7 p.m. in honor of 14-year-old Nadiir King. King played for the Washington Township minutemen little league baseball team.

Participating teams in the Washington Township baseball program attended the service in which King's number was retired.

Last April, King collapsed and died while walking to a friend's house, the day before he was set to start at 3rd base for his baseball team.

King was walking to the Sewell, N.J. home of a friend, who became worried when Nadiir never arrived. The Chestnut Ridge 8th grader was found lying in the grass along the street.

Stanley King, the 14-year-old boy’s father, and others performed CPR on Nadiir until paramedics arrived. He was later pronounced dead. 

While the game was initially canceled, coaches changed their minds after Nadiir's teammates said they wanted to play in his honor.

During the game against the South Jersey Braves, the Minutemen painted 16 - Nadiir's Jersey number on their faces in honor of their friend.

The coach also ordered patches displaying Nadiir’s initials that all 200 players on the Washington Township travel teams wore on their uniforms.

The Minutemen defeated the Braves, winning by one run.

The final score was 10 to nine, but halfway through the game the scoreboard froze.

The sign showed the score tied at 16.

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