Through thick and thin, mom has had Rushing's back

LOS ANGELES -- Dalton Rushing knows that his mom, Melissa, is watching every pitch of every game he plays. That means that in his second year in the big leagues, when the Dodgers' backup catcher has perhaps drawn more attention for his firebrand personality than the way he's raised his game from his rookie season, Melissa has seen it all.

She watched as Rushing sparked tension last month in San Francisco, when cameras appeared to catch him saying, "F--- 'em," after a play at the plate where Jung Hoo Lee went down hard. Rushing was plunked by Logan Webb two days later, then responded with a hard slide into Willy Adames. No other incidents have prompted retaliation from opposing teams, but Rushing has continued to ruffle feathers since then.

As Rushing has built a reputation on the field, opposing fans have taken notice. But like ballplayers of all ages, he has to answer to his mom first.

"Trust me, I have plenty of late-night phone calls," Rushing said. "'Why'd you say this? Why'd you do that?' I explain to her, 'Mom, I hope of all people you know, I mean no harm by anything that I say, nor do, when I'm competing on a baseball field.' … She understands the competitive edge. She never wants me to make a fool of myself, in which every mother wants to feel that way, you know."

Rushing may not get his fiery nature from his mom, but she has been a constant source of support for him. Throughout her son's playing career, Melissa has been there every step of the way as Rushing has gone from an amateur with talent and potential to a big leaguer playing on a back-to-back championship team.

"I come from a single-parent household. She's the best," Rushing said. "I played two sports growing up. My brother played two sports. My sister was always on the go; she was the smart one of the three. [My mom] had her hands full, and she did better than anyone I could have ever imagined. … It's a relationship that I could never have with anyone else."

It has been almost a full year since Rushing was called up by the Dodgers last May, and memorably, his time as a big leaguer began with five or six missed calls to his mom. Rushing received the big news at around 2 a.m. ET in his home state of Tennessee, and despite the early hour, he was able to reach almost every immediate family member -- except for Melissa. He knows his mom to be a deep sleeper, so once it became clear she wasn't going to pick up the phone that night, he instead sent her a message asking her to call him first thing in the morning.

About four hours later, Melissa returned her son's missed calls. Rushing remembers her going from concerned to speechless to scrambling to make travel arrangements in quick succession, something that will always stick with him when he thinks back to his debut.

Melissa made it to Dodger Stadium in time to see Rushing play his first game for the Dodgers, in which he picked up a pair of knocks. After the game, Rushing gave his mom the ball from his first hit.

For as long as Rushing has played baseball, his mom's enthusiasm has played into his own love for the game. From being loud in the stands to being there for him when he has to make decisions that could impact the course of his career, Melissa has been there to support her son through the good and the bad, on and off the field.

That's why Rushing's most treasured baseball memory with his mom is having her there for his debut, the culmination of everything he worked for, with her support behind him all the way. But he's hoping that in the near future, the two of them might share an even more special moment now that he's a big leaguer.

"I want to make sure she gets to see us win a World Series," Rushing said, "hopefully at Dodger Stadium."