Baseball means something different to everyone, but most come back to the same sentiment -- it's time spent and a pastime shared with the people you love, and for many, that begins with fathers and daughters, mothers and sons. (You've seen Field of Dreams, right?)
This of course applies just as much -- if not more -- to the players themselves, many of whom raise their own children in baseball, often with very heartwarming results. Here are a few of the most memorable on-field moments players have shared with their kids.
Justin and Genevieve Verlander
Twenty-one years and over 3,500 innings later, it took a major effort for Justin Verlander to return to the mound in Detroit for one more appearance in the Tigers' home whites, his first in over nine years. The day before, the club had honored that effort (and the rest of his legendary career) with a pregame ceremony capped off by Verlander's 7-year-old daughter, Genevieve, throwing out the first pitch to her very proud dad. This, as it turned out, was something of a preview.
In his final start, Verlander gave his first (and last) club everything he had left in the tank, firing 5 1/3 innings of two-run ball on 91 pitches before manager A.J. Hinch came out to retrieve him. Here, a surprise several weeks in the making paid off, as Hinch was quickly overtaken by Genevieve, who threw her arms around her dad before anyone else could. After giving her dad time to say his on-field goodbyes to his teammates, Genevieve then walked hand-in-hand with Justin to meet back up with mom Kate and little brother Bellamy, making for potentially the sweetest send-off any player has ever been given.
Gerrit, Caden and Everett Cole
Gerrit Cole's starts are very much a family affair, which isn't much of a surprise, given the extended family we're talking about. The Coles -- wife Amy and sons Caden and Everett -- are often on hand when Gerrit pitches, although that doesn't always allow for much in-game interaction. That said, for dad's August 2026 start at Wrigley Field, the whole crew was close enough for the right-hander to give his boys a game ball. (Just one for both, but not to worry -- later shots from the broadcast would imply the brothers were doing a very good job of sharing it.)
Clayton, Cali, Charley, Cooper and Chance Kershaw
Clayton Kershaw's legacy with the Dodgers was truly remarkable, and as such, his retirement was an event unto itself. As part of those festivities, after his final regular-season game, Kershaw and the Dodgers' grounds crew removed the rubber from the mound at Dodger Stadium for the left-hander to take home. They did so with the very cute (and slightly nerve-wracking) help of his kids, daughter Cali and sons Charley, Cooper and Chance.
Freddie and Charlie Freeman
Freddie Freeman is an undisputed icon of his generation -- a 10-time All-Star, a three-time World Series champion, we could go on -- but his prominence in modern baseball culture may genuinely be rivaled by that of his son, Charlie.
The younger Freeman's growing legend has included multiple first pitches thrown to his dad at Dodger Stadium -- the first thrown at age 5 in August 2022 (which was the time he overthrew home plate from the mound, something most adults would find challenging), the second as a seven-year-old in March 2024.
Nick and Liam Castellanos
Nick Castellanos' bond with his oldest son, Liam, has been well documented throughout his career, but the attention on the pair really reached its peak during the 2023 NLDS, when Castellanos went an unbelievable 7-for-15 with four home runs against the Braves, including two off Spencer Strider in the final game of the series. Obviously, he had everyone in attendance on their feet, but no reaction beat Liam's.
Kevin and Sadie Gausman
Ironically, when the Blue Jays took a moment to honor pitcher Kevin Gausman after he recorded his 1,500th strikeout in 2023, he found himself doing the catching. Metaphorically taking the mound a day after her dad did was Sadie Gausman, who threw to Kevin and little sister Sutton. Fittingly, the veteran pitcher's daughter is an old pro of the first pitch -- more recently, she upped her game by adding a cartwheel. Unfortunately for dad, there probably won't be any topping that.
Francisco and Kalina Lindor
Nominally a father-daughter moment, but it was dad's manager that Francisco Lindor's young daughter, Kalina, was concerned about in this case. Joining her dad and teammate Pete Alonso for their press conference after Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series in 2022, Kalina was perfectly poised and polite (perhaps a hint to her future in sports media) until she noticed then-Mets skipper Buck Showalter had left the room. Only then did she interrupt to ask about it.
"She loves Buck," the elder Lindor explained. Given how consistently he's been employed over the last several decades, she can't be the only one.
Stephen, Bennett, Clark and Payton Vogt
Retirement, for most players, does mean being welcomed back into the full-time family fold. It just makes sense to involve the kids. Just ask Stephen Vogt, who ahead of his first at-bat in his final Major League game -- as a player, that is -- had his name announced by his three children, sons Clark and Bennett and daughter Payton.
David and Olivia Wright
Ahead of his final big league game in 2018, the Mets honored their captain, David Wright, with an emotional send-off. That type of ceremony almost always includes a ceremonial first pitch, but given that Wright was already set to take the field in a few moments -- and that he was, famously, not a pitcher -- they instead tabbed his daughter, two-year-old Olivia Shea, to throw out the first pitch. It was, predictably, adorable, and she got a big hug and a kiss from dad for her hard work.
It should be noted that this was just the first time she took the mound at Citi Field. Seven years later, joined this time by younger siblings Madison and Brooks, Olivia returned for a slightly more chaotic collective first pitch on the day their dad's number was officially retired in 2025.
Vladimir Guerrero Sr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
It's become one of baseball's most iconic images for a reason. Vladimir Guerrero sharing the field at Olympic Stadium with his 3-year-old son -- also named Vladimir -- back in September 2002. Several photos of the adorable pair were taken that day, before anyone involved could have known that in 17 years they'd be resurfaced ahead of that little boy's Major League debut, to which the then-20-year-old wore a replica Expos jersey. Somehow they've only gotten better in the years since, as Hall of Famer Guerrero Sr. (as we now know him), has watched Guerrero Jr. become one of baseball's biggest stars.
