MLBbro.com reporter Renee Washington recaps the various events, dedications and celebrations that baseball held for Juneteenth and to celebrate Black culture. She also reveals where MLB ranks among the major sports as far as second-generation players go.
Mark Gray remembers two royal families of baseball during Father’s Day weekend. the two greatest father-son duos to grace the sport. Bobby and Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Sr. and Jr.
Newly acquired outfielder Delino Deshields Jr. is being reunited with his father who is the first base coach for the Cincinnati Reds after being traded from Boston.
There will be a family reunion held in Ohio soon for the Deshields family as both senior and junior are now members of the Cincinnati Reds organization after the Red Sox traded Deshields for cash considerations Tuesday.
.@DelinoDeShields and @LinoDeShields shared an awesome #FathersDay moment before Sunday's game. pic.twitter.com/HG3uqONO0z
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) June 16, 2019
“I’m excited, nervous, proud- the whole gamut,” said Deshields Sr. when asked about the new reality where he is now his son’s first base coach.
Deshields Sr. also known as “Bop” played 13 seasons in the Majors with five different teams. In his Major League debut, Deshields became one of what is now 12 players to record four hits. For his career he hit .268 with and 463 stolen bases.
25 pts for Diamond Deshields in her playoff debut 🔥#WNBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/lpabC2d1is
— espnW (@espnW) September 12, 2019
Delino’s sister Diamond may be the best athlete in the family. She was the third overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft and was named to the All-Star game in 2019 where she also won the Skills Challenge.
When it comes to pure speed, there is a short list of players in any sport who may be able to keep up with Delino Deshields Jr. Deshields was the eighth overall selection by the Houston Astros in the 2010 draft.
Astros prospect Delino DeShields Jr. got hit in the face with 90-mph FB. Here's what it looks like, from @ctcase10: pic.twitter.com/Kn6YCpHhzv
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 19, 2014
His time in H-Town was summed up by him getting hit in the face with a 90MPH fastball in April of 2014. He was then selected by the Texas Rangers after the 2014 Winter Meetings in the Rule 5 Draft and was on the Opening Day roster to begin the year.
OH MY 😮
Delino DeShields Jr. with one of the best plays of the YEAR for a CF!
(via @FOXSportsSW) pic.twitter.com/DJZlOwmePx
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) August 29, 2019
During his time patrolling center field in Arlington, Deshields was constantly making great catch after great catch. His speed allows him to turn plays nobody would ever make into web gems.
In December of 2019, Deshields was traded to the Cleveland Guardians in a deal that sent Cory Klueber back to Texas. This was the last time we saw him in the Big Leagues as in just 37 games that year Deshields hit .252 with no home runs, seven RBI and three doubles.
DELINO DESHIELDS GRAND SLAM OFF COLE HAMELS!!! 💪🏾
📽️: @FOXSportsSW #TogetherWe pic.twitter.com/0yYUngcbyd
— SportsDay Rangers (@dmn_rangers) March 31, 2019
Before the 2021 season, Deshields signed a Minor League contract to return to the Rangers but would not end up making the 40-man roster as he was sent to Triple A Round Rock for 66 games where he stole 16 bases and posted a batting average of .263 before he was again traded at the beginning of August, this time to the Boston Red Sox.
In Triple A this season Deshields has been successful on over 87 percent of his stolen base attempts and has a batting average of .252 with a .385 on base percentage.
Awesome move by Delino DeShields. That little guy will never forget this! (via @EmilyJonesMcCoy) pic.twitter.com/zV0SnD9Dqt
— Baseball Bros (@BaseballBros) April 14, 2019
Deshields was eligible to be traded after the July 31st trade deadline because he was not on the Red Sox 40-man roster and played this season on a minor league deal. He will be sent to the Reds Triple A affiliate, the Louisville Bats but with Major League rosters expanding to 40 players in September, Deshields should have a spot on the team for their playoff run.
Delino DeShields wants change.
Here's the personal story of how the @Indians CF found his voice and became part of the #BlackLivesMatter movement.@LinoDeShields #OneVoice pic.twitter.com/qGyVA8lsJ9
— MLB Players Media (@MLBPlayersMedia) June 11, 2020
The speed factor Deshields adds to the roster could play a major role in the Reds winning or losing the one game wild card match they are fighting to play in. The Reds rank dead last out of 30 Major League teams with only 27 stolen bases this year, and they trail the next team by six. Delino was 21-24 when stealing bases this season.
That extra base or even just a few steps can be the difference in whether or not we get to see the 2021 version of the Big Red Machine late in October.
Major League Baseball and USA Baseball announced the roster for the second edition of the “High School All-American Game” scheduled at Coors Field on Friday, July 9th as part of 2021 MLB All-Star Week in Denver.
This premier All-Star showcase game will feature a roster of 39 participants who are some of the top U.S.-based high school baseball prospects for the 2022 MLB Draft.
If you had any doubt that MLB was serious about increasing its number of Black and Brown participants, then look no further than the recent appointments of Ken Griffey Jr. (Senior Advisor to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred with an emphasis on baseball operations, youth development and diversity) and former Stros manager Bo Porter (MLB Director of Coaching Development).
“Being selected to the High School All-American Game is an honor, “ Porter, a former MLB player, manager, coach analyst and executive, told MLBbro.com.
It places student-athletes into an intense competitive environment with their present and future competition. They will also be surrounded by coaches with hundreds of years of experience and wisdom.
I wish all of our High School All-Americans well as they continue towards conquering a lifetime goals of reaching their full potential in baseball and life.”
The roster boasts a diverse mix of athletes, from future MLBbros to the rising Latin Lords of MLB and is notably highlighted by:
Like fathers, like sons: Carsten Sabathia III and Andruw Jones Jr. squared off in the @mbpallamerican game.
?: @MBPTakeover pic.twitter.com/0Aj9vHIwG9
— MLB (@MLB) November 25, 2020
Additionally, eight of the All-American players will compete in the annual “High School Home Run Derby,” scheduled for Saturday, July 10th at 12:30 p.m. MT at Coors Field. MLB.com will livestream this round, with commentary by Braun, Jonathan Mayo and Yonder Alonso.
The players will vie for a chance to compete in the Finals during breaks of the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, including:
Yeah, you can forget about that one. ? #BreakthroughSeries pic.twitter.com/pbxvkQGcOM
— MLBDevelops (@MLBDevelops) June 29, 2021
Several players featured in the High School All-American Game and High School Home Run Derby rosters have previously participated in diversity-focused development initiatives led by MLB & USA Baseball.
Out of these players, we are seeing a stream of second-generation MLB hopefuls emerging; from Cameron Collier (Breakthrough Series, DREAM Series and Hank Aaron Invitational) son of former Major Leaguer Lou Collier to CC’s boy Carsten Sabathia (Breakthrough Series and Hank Aaron Invitational) and former Braves slugger Andruw Jones’ son, Junior (DREAM Series)
Other MLB diversity products being featured include Elijah Green (Breakthrough Series, DREAM Series and Hank Aaron Invitational, which is also supported by the MLBPA); Termarr Johnson (Breakthrough Series, DREAM Series and Hank Aaron Invitational); Former Tennessee National Title- winning QB Tee Martin’s son, Kaden Martin (Breakthrough Series); Aiden Moffet (Breakthrough Series); and Kassius Thomas (Breakthrough Series, DREAM Series and Hank Aaron Invitational).
The High School All-American Game will be led by an All-Star cast of coaches, including Managers Clint Hurdle (former Colorado Rockies Manager) and Clint Barmes (former Rockies infielder, 2003-2010), who will be supported by Chad Cordero (2005 MLB All-Star), Roy Hallenbeck (Retired Head Baseball Coach, Millville – N.J. – High School), Jason Maxwell (former MLB infielder; 18U National Team Manager, USA Baseball), Todd Pratt (former MLB catcher, 1992-1995, 1997-2006), Jerry Royster (former MLB infielder, 1973-1987) and Bianca Smith (Boston Red Sox Player Development Coach).
The High School All-American Game will serve as a feeder for the Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League, the primary identification event for the USA Baseball 18U National Team, which is slated to compete in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup in Sarasota and Bradenton, FL in September.
The PDP League will take place in late July at the USA Baseball National Team Complex in Cary, N.C.
Baseball continues to develop tremendous talent through its diversity programs and shape the future of MLB in a positive, inclusive, and multi-talented fashion.
Telly Hughes is back with another A Bro Convo. This time “The Voice of MLBbro.com ” speaks with 17-year MLB veteran Mike Cameron, whose son Daz, a rookie with the Detroit Tigers, made him proud on Father’s Day. It was the first time the elder Cameron would see Daz play live on the field while sitting in the stands.
At the time of recording, Mike didn’t know that his son would actually deliver the goods.
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