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Teoscar Hernández tops Bobby Witt in nail-biting finish

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2 months ago

July 17, 2024

Teoscar Hernandez and wife Jennifer during the Home Run Derby.

ARLINGTON, Texas – Bobby Witt Jr. unleashed his closing, mighty swing of the night time and despatched the baseball on a wonderful arc towards lifeless heart subject Monday, a crowd of 38,578 and a TV viewers of hundreds of thousands extra raptly watching its flight.

And because it descended towards the wall at Globe Life Area, two households – many down the precise subject line, others sprinkled on the grass ringing the infield, and one atop the mound delivering the pitch – lived and died a couple of instances on its descent.

Witt, the Kansas Metropolis Royals’ third-year franchise shortstop, wanted the ball to clear and drive Residence Run Derby extra time towards Teoscar Hernández, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ beloved outfielder having fun with the most important highlight of his nine-year profession.

Dread and future.

“I bear in mind trying to the left and considering, ‘Alright, I’m simply going to cross out,’” says Jennifer Hernández, Teoscar’s spouse and mom of their three youngsters.

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“I felt like my coronary heart was going to return out of my mouth, I used to be so nervous.”

“I assumed it was gone for positive,” says James Russell, Witt’s brother-in-law and former huge league pitcher tasked with tossing gopher balls to Witt for his first Derby.

“I normally strive to not watch these balls as a result of I need to keep zoned in. However I paid shut consideration to that one.”

After which the thud up towards the wall, and at last a decision.

Hernández prevailed within the finals of this revamped occasion, 14 house runs to 13, the primary Dodger to win the occasion and the third consecutive participant from the Dominican Republic – following Juan Soto and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – to say the trophy and attendant bling.

And in waging this duel, Hernández and Witt uncovered the beating coronary heart of the fashionable sport and the hopes and goals ballplayers carry with them.

This was Cotui vs. Colleyville, Hernández hailing from the capital of the Sancho Ramirez province and Witt from the Metroplex internet hosting this All-Star week, simply 15 miles from Globe Life Area.

Each represented the disparate backgrounds from which most main leaguers hail: Greater than 70% of them are American-born and, more and more, come up by way of regimented and sometimes pricey journey ball packages. Dominicans comprise the most important foreign-born contingent within the sport – 108 gamers on Opening Day rosters, 11.4% of the league.

They arrive collectively on 30 squads united in a standard purpose, and on this Monday night time in North Texas, gathered for the annual frivolous but wonderful ritual to see who may smash probably the most baseballs over the fence as their All-Star teammates hooted and hollered from the infield apron.

By the finals, Gunnar Henderson, Alec Bohm and two-time champ Pete Alonso had been dispatched, together with Dominicans José Ramírez and Marcell Ozuna and Cuban Adolis Garcia.

Solely Hernández and Witt had been left, and for the finalists, the assist from their family members was palpable.

Witt stated round 30 family and friends had been ticketed for the occasion and estimates many, most likely dozens extra household and friends from Colleyville made the 20-ish minute drive throughout Tarrant County to take it in.

His mother and father, longtime main league pitcher Bobby Witt and mom Laurie, had been down the precise subject line. Behind the L display was Russell, who pitched in components of seven main league seasons, largely with the Chicago Cubs.

In 2015, he married Nikki Witt, Bobby and Laurie’s daughter. A 12 months later, after posting an 18.69 ERA for the Phillies, he was dispatched to their Class AAA Lehigh Valley squad.

Someday within the Iron Pigs bullpen, he was musing on the 15-year-old shortstop he now counted as a brother-in-law.

“I bear in mind telling guys after I was within the minor leagues in ’16 hey, I acquired somewhat brother-in-law who’s going to be fairly dang good,” Russell stated Monday night time. “I didn’t know to this caliber, however informed all these guys, be careful that title. Now it’s come full circle.

“It’s fairly particular.”

Most legacy huge leaguers grew up of their fathers’ clubhouses, however now Witt was a baseball brat tagging alongside together with his brother-in-law. He nonetheless remembers when Bobby was within the Braves clubhouse, assembly Freddie Freeman. Now, Freeman is on the opposing All-Star workforce.

And Charlie Freeman, Freddie’s 7-year-old son, is a large Bobby Witt Jr. fan, says Russell.

Household, prolonged and precise, is the tie binding this sport.

“It’s every part,” says Russell. “An important factor to us is household. We’re fortunate to have an actual particular bunch. It’s fairly superior seeing everyone going loopy within the stands and cheering for us.”

By dint of proximity, Hernández’s group didn’t roll so deep Monday night time. Nineteen family members, Jennifer Hernández recounted confidently, three of them Teoscar’s pals and the remainder cousins and siblings and his mother and father, Teofilo and Carmen, and his youngsters, 4-year-old Teoscar Jr., 3-year-old Mateo and the almost 2-year-old Julian.

On the mound, pitching to Hernández? Dino Ebel, the Dodgers coach who famous after the Derby that he’d additionally pitched a profitable spherical to the elder Vladimir Guerrero in 2007.

“After we signed him, I used to be so thrilled,” says Ebel, who milled in regards to the subject postgame together with his son, Brady, a budding highschool baseball star. “I stated to him in Spring Coaching, I stated, ‘There’s going to be a variety of Dodger followers loving you. And whenever you’re within the outfield, they will be chanting your title. He reveals up each night time.

“One of many nicest, biggest guys I’ve met in my profession within the sport. He is at all times acquired a smile on his face. First one there, final to go away. Works laborious. So superior for the Dodgers and for Teo and his household.”

For Hernández, 31, it was a crowning achievement in a profession that has produced two All-Star seasons but not fairly superstardom, in stops with Houston, Toronto, Seattle and now the Dodgers, the place he’s on a one-year, $23.5 million deal.

He needed to survive a swing-off towards Bohm within the semifinals and wait out Witt’s moonshot within the finals. Monday, it turned out, was his time.

“I used to be making an attempt to carry all my feelings,” says Hernández. “However I am not the man that’s going to assume dangerous about different gamers. The identical alternative that I acquired to do one of the best job, they had been doing it. And I used to be blissful for them, even when I might have misplaced.

“For me, simply to be in right here, make it to the finals and going by way of these moments, I simply really feel grateful proper now.”