As we celebrate Mother’s Day, we honor the uniquely beautiful relationship of mother and child. In all walks of life and in all parts of the world, mothers are heralded for their care, sacrifice and undying love.
And in baseball, from Little League to the Major Leagues, moms everywhere are being celebrated across the game.
Here’s a look at some great Mother’s Day stories from around the Majors:
He dreamed of playing in Yankee Stadium as a 10-year-old in Puerto Rico -- his mother’s words have him there today
Fernando Cruz is in his fifth Major League season and second with the Yankees. But if it wasn’t for his mom, he wouldn’t be where he is today.
Cruz remembers the conversation vividly. It was 2011, and the Royals had converted him from a position player into a pitcher, sending him to a Rookie league. With tears in his eyes and pain coursing through his right shoulder, Cruz dialed home from an Arizona hotel room.
“I was really struggling,” Cruz said. “I was crying, I was depressed. I was like, ‘Mom, I don’t know what else to do. This is my last shot and it’s not going well.’ My arm hurt. And she went to those words.
“She said, ‘Keep going. I know your heart. Since you were a little kid, it was a big deal for you to play baseball. You have to keep going and trust in the process.’
"Every time I have struggled or had negative thoughts, I always go back to those words. That set the tone for everything.” Full story >
A scary situation and a resilient, protective mom
Longtime Mariners broadcaster Angie Mentink suffered a stroke in February, but even in that scary moment, she was comforting her kids.
When the stroke surfaced, [her youngest son] Chase was the only other family member at home, asleep on the couch for a midafternoon nap. Mentink had pause about waking him up, and instead attempted a telehealth consultation. But she then realized that this was more serious and nudged him, saying, “Hey dude, I think I’m going to need your help.”
Once awake, Chase intervened and insisted on seeking immediate medical attention. He preferred calling 911 but they settled on him driving her to the ER.
Again, in a potentially very scary situation, those motherly instincts were to downplay fear.
“The whole car ride down to the emergency room, we're cracking jokes,” Chase said. “I was messing with her a little bit and she's laughing and whatever. I guarantee you that most times people have strokes, the person that's having the stroke isn't making jokes or trying to make light of a situation. But I think it was to keep me from being scared.” Full story >
Sure, he’s got a big league dad -- but he’s also got a World Series mom
Brice Turang’s father, Brian, played in the big leagues for the Mariners in the early 1990s. But the athletic genes don’t end there -- Brice’s mom, Carrie, played for Long Beach State in the Women’s College World Series.
Carrie Turang was not just a full-time mom for Brice and his four sisters while they were growing up, she was an overtime mom, since all five kids were star athletes. That meant logging countless miles in Southern California making sure everyone got to practice on time.
And Mom knows all about what it takes to play high level athletics. Carrie Turang played softball for Long Beach State and competed in the Women's College World Series.
“She doesn’t talk much about herself or her playing days, but she still has friends from college and goes back to some alumni events,” Brice said. “Obviously, sports is very big in my family, but she taught us more about being respectful, and just how to live your everyday life, what’s right and what’s wrong. Full story >
Got to the Majors? Mom’s thrilled! Got hit by a pitch 39 times? Not so much!
White Sox left fielder Sam Antonacci has a mother who beams with pride now that her son has reached the Major Leagues. But according to Sam, she becomes “a raging lunatic” when he gets hit by a pitch … which happens a lot.
“Regarding the hit by pitches, yes, I do get kind of irritated with him when he just stands in there and takes it. Get out of the way!” Nicki said with a laugh. “But I get it, I understand. I mean, I played. I understand that you want to get on base, but I just don’t want him to get hurt.
“He’s still my kid. Then I got mad at him because he didn’t have a hand mitt, he lost the sliding glove [in his debut]. I said, ‘Where the hell is that?’ He’s like, ‘I don’t know.’ I said, ‘I’m pretty sure they probably have one if you just ask them for one.’ He hurt his hand last year and was out for like four to six weeks or something and I was like, ‘Get it on your hand now.’”
There was a brief pause from Nicki, before humorously adding, “I guess I am a raging lunatic.” Full story >
He was called up to the Majors ‘off the couch’ -- and Mom was by his side
Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner was at home between the end of his Double-A season and a planned trip to the Arizona Fall League. That’s when he got the call, and the first person he was able to tell about making the big leagues was his mom.
For Hoerner’s mom, Keila Diehl, in particular, Hoerner said the baseball world was entirely new for her. Diehl is an author and educator who currently works at the University of California-Berkeley. Baseball became Hoerner’s thing as a kid, and Diehl had to learn all the ins and outs of having and supporting a budding star.
“There’s a story she loves to tell,” Hoerner said with a smile. “When I was maybe 11 or 12, she was asking about going camping or doing this trip, and I was like, ‘No, I have another tournament.’ She goes, ‘Another tournament? Again?’ I stopped her and was like, ‘Mom, I’m really good at this.’”
Hoerner let out a laugh.
“That’s how she tells the story, like I was kind of letting her know, ‘This is what I’m going to do,’” he continued. “She sacrificed a ton of time. She always jokes that she failed as a mom, because I can’t play an instrument and I’m not bilingual.” Full story >
From the riding mower at home to the pristine turf at Great American Ball Park, this mom is soaking it all in
Andrew Abbott’s first call when he got called up to the Majors was to his parents. But when he called home, no one picked up. So he called again … and again. His mom, Jeanette, happened to be mowing the lawn. Now, she’ll be watching him stand on the mound at Great American Ball Park, pitching for the Reds on Sunday.
"Unfortunately they didn't pick up the phone the first time I called. It's kind of cliché, she was cutting grass like all of us do down South. It was surreal," Abbott said. "I kept calling. I think it was the third or fourth time I picked up the phone to call."
Once connected, excitement flowed -- and then some.
"She was ecstatic," said Abbott, who became an All-Star for the first time last season. "And then she immediately went into a kind of panic like, 'What are we going to do for tickets? How are we going to get up there? We've only got two days.' Then it turned into, 'All right, calm down. We'll get it figured out. We have a lot of good guys up here that will help us.' Full story >
She was there when he got the call, and now her son will present her the baseball from his first MLB save
Rays reliever Ian Seymour picked up his first Major League save last Wednesday, and he immediately had plans for the baseball he used to get it: it would go to the person who was with him when he got the call to the Majors, and he’ll give it to her while playing in his hometown.
“Right in my backyard, basically. You can’t draw it up better than that. The fact that it happened that way, the chances of that don’t seem very high,” Seymour said. “I was pretty grateful for it, and it’s something we all are going to look back on forever, for sure.”
There is no such thing as a bad callup story in baseball. For every player who gets promoted to the big leagues, it’s the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. It’s the goal for not just every player who puts on a uniform, but for every friend, family member, coach and fan who supported the player along that journey.
Seymour’s was unique, though, because he literally shared his trip to the big leagues with his mom, Amy. Full story >