By Julio Rodriguez | The Player’s Tribune | March 29, 2023

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Para leer en Español, haz click aquí.

I’m not going to start with a fairytale story. Life isn’t always like that. I want to start with something REAL. Let’s start with an 0-for-5 story.

Early on last season, we played at home against the Rangers. It was April. I’d made my MLB debut two weeks earlier — one of the greatest days of my life, something I was able to celebrate with my whole family. I was settling into the big league world, soaking it all in. Everything was pretty good, you know?? But this one game, man, I’m tellin’ you…. I think about it a lot. I started the game with four strikeouts, and in my last at-bat I made contact with the ball for the first time that night. I was mad in that batter’s box. I swung hard. I hit a line drive into the left-center gap. I was flying down the baseline. Triple or inside-the-park-er for sure, I thought. And then I saw Adolis García make a Superman catch to rob me. We lost 8–6. I was 0-for-5. Four Ks. Batting .136 in 12 games.

I understood it was April. I knew I was a rookie. I got it. But it’s one thing hearing people say it to you, and it’s a whole other thing to believe it. Like really believe it. It didn’t feel early to me. I’d been waiting my whole life for this chance. Since I was hitting the tennis balls my dad saved up money for back in the Dominican. Since I was playing with Hot Wheels… Read More HERE

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