CINCINNATI -- Mother's Day is a day for appreciation and remembering mom for her love and support. Of course, nobody gets into the world without a mother -- including Major League Baseball players.
But many players -- including some on the Reds -- wouldn't be playing baseball at the highest level without help and encouragement from their mothers. With Mother's Day coming on Sunday, MLB.com has asked some Reds players to describe how their mother's support helped them achieve their dreams.
Reds Mother's Day Collection
Outfielder Adam Duvall about his mother, Jeana:
"Without her, I wouldn't have been able to travel or do anything as a young kid. Her taking the time out of her day and busy work schedule and everything was vital for me to be able to play the game. Not only her time, but financially as well, because baseball is expensive, especially traveling and playing competitively. She always had an ear I could fill up with my struggles or whatever. It meant a lot for me to just let everything off my chest and be able to talk to her."
:: Mother's Day 2016 ::
Reds manager Bryan Price on his mother, Jean:
"She did haul me to a lot of my ballgames. Probably the biggest impact on my athletic life was the fact that my mom would not allow us to sit in the house and watch television. Television did not go on until after homework was done, and no earlier than 5 p.m. We were outside. We didn't have as many things that brought us inside. She just wanted us to be active, and I think she knew if I wasn't doing something sports related, I was going to be doing something stupid. I was going to throw a rock through something. I was one of those boys that found stupid trouble."
Outfielder Scott Schebler talked about his mother, Deb:
"Amazing woman; she took me to everything. I had an older sister, and she played softball. So the way it worked was our summers were kind of just slam packed. My Dad would always go with my sister. My mother would always take me to tournaments. We were already close, but that made us closer. She pretty much took me to every baseball event I've probably ever been a part of, pre-high school. Big thanks to her. Even now, she's the first person to text me after the game and the first person to text me in the morning. No matter the outcome, she doesn't care. If I need a little bit of motivation, she'll give it to me. If I need a pat on the back, she'll give that to me, too. I owe everything to her."
Reliever Ross Ohlendorf on his mother, Patti:
"In a lot of aspects of my life, she really encouraged me to do my best and have high expectations and to work hard to try and achieve a lot. I think baseball is one area where that really helped me to get to where I am. Not just in baseball, but in other things in life, she pushed me. Even in baseball, it's manifested in being able to play in the Major Leagues."
Reds infielder Ivan De Jesus Jr. about his mother, Ivette:
"My mom was my hitting coach. My mom hit me ground balls and was my throwing partner. When I was little and close to my Draft year, my Dad was not around. He was coaching with Houston. Every time I had a tryout or a really important game or practice where I had to show up, my mom was the one I played catch with. She threw me BP tennis balls. My mom was everything, and is still everything. Not only baseball-wise, but emotionally. She keeps me confident and [teaches me] to stay positive and stay strong. She's always there for me. My Dad is always there for me, but my mom was there every time, 24-7, traveling with me when I was a kid. Even now and in the Minor Leagues, she comes twice a year to see me play. It's important to have a mom around and having a special mom like I have."