Infielder Jacob Amaya signed a Minor League Free Agent contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks this past offseason and was assigned to Reno coming out of Spring Training. What he might not have realized at the time is that he would wear the same Reno Silver Sox jersey as his grandfather, Frank Amaya.
Frank was drafted by the Dodgers in the early 1950s, beginning his professional career in 1955. He played in Great Falls for two seasons and then made his lone stop in Reno as a member of the Silver Sox in 1957. A middle infielder just like Jacob is now, Frank played 41 games in the BLC hitting .207 with a .531 OPS. He would retire two years later in 1959.
Fast forward six decades later, Jacob was drafted by the same Dodgers organization that picked his grandfather and now, in his tenth season of professional baseball, gets to don the same Silver Sox script across his chest every Thursday home game at Greater Nevada Field.
“It’s special to me,” said Jacob. “Knowing he put on this same uniform back in the day, and that I get this chance to connect with him like this is really cool.”
In three games this season when the Aces turn into the Silver Sox as part of their Throwback Thursdays, presented by Coors Light, KTVN and Cumulus, Amaya is hitting .333 with a 1.000 OPS including a two-run homer.
His family regularly comes to games and was in attendance for his first Silver Sox homer. Amaya continued, “I have family that lives out here, and I’m actually staying with them, so when they’re in the stands and showing their support, it means a lot.”
Amaya and the Aces hit the road this week heading to Oklahoma City for a six-game set with Comets beginning on Tuesday.
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