This story was excerpted from Jessica Camerato's Nationals Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
WASHINGTON -- A young Derek Law used to see his veteran teammates bring their children around the ballpark and hope one day he would be able to do the same.
“It was like, ‘Oh, that's so cool. It’s probably never going to be me,’” Law, 34, recounted. “And then all of a sudden, here we are.”
Eight years into his big league career, having his three children -- Nolan, 6, Maverick, 3, and Kendall, 2 -- with him at Nationals Park is one of his favorite parts of the job.
“Now they’re super comfortable,” Law said. “[Nolan and Maverick] just walk through like it’s no big deal. I remember last year, even in Cincinnati, they were shy. Then guys started saying hi and they almost started feeling like they’re cool, like they’re part of it. … It’s a big thing that we get to go into the locker room right now -- which is really cool because it’s a big thing for me, too.”
Law’s children are a grounding support system. Since Spring Training this season, Law has been sidelined by right forearm inflammation. On days when the schedule aligns, Law takes his kids to the rehab facility so they can experience all facets of his job as a pitcher. And when he doesn’t have his children at work, they instantly reset his perspective when he returns.
“They just keep you down to earth,” Law said. “You can get caught up in this life with baseball and all this stuff, and at the end of the day, you realize that it's just your job to do. You go home and they're there and it doesn't matter what the results were that day, bad or good. … You’ve got to be a dad. That’s your priority at that time.”
Law has a new appreciation for being present in the moment, thanks to his sons and daughter. He recently deactivated his Instagram account after finding himself distracted by scrolling. When he brings them onto the field to hit or in the batting cage, he puts his phone away to soak up the scenery. If he wants to capture a moment, he will prop his phone up on a water bottle and record hands-free so he can still be an active participant.
“I'm a little older,” Law, who debuted on April 15, 2016, said. “I don't know how much longer I have to play. I just want to enjoy this all with them as much as I can, whatever that may be -- whether it's being on the field or just coming into the locker room for an hour just to hang out.”
Law’s children have embraced the entertainment at Nationals Park. One of their favorite parts of the game is the mascot Geico Presidents Race, which they recreate themselves. Law enjoys that his children now ask to go to the field and have expressed their interest in being there.
“I think they just think it’s a really cool thing,” Law said. “They don’t know that it’s a Major League clubhouse. I could be in [Double-A] Harrisburg and they’d probably think it’s the same thing.
“To them, I think it’s just being here with me because I’m gone and they want to be where dad’s at and at his work, and it’s cool because he plays a sport. …
“It doesn’t matter where it’s at. I could be in Indy Ball somewhere and they would still love it, probably. Again, there’s a baseball field and there’s a mascot.”