Mother's Day is a beautiful occasion on which we celebrate and reflect upon the love, support and sacrifice of mothers everywhere. And while it will be evident in the pink bats, armbands, cleats and other gear on the field on Sunday, MLB players are inwardly thinking about their moms and wives on this day, as well as all they've done to help them achieve their dreams.
Here are some touching and heartwarming Mother's Day stories from around baseball:
History on Mother's Day? Perfect
A look back at Dallas Braden's perfect game on Mother's Day 15 years ago, and why it was about so much more than baseball
“'In that moment, I wanted me hugging her,' Braden said, 'I wanted that to be the moment that we could both look back and remember ... that this is when we got Mother’s Day back. This is when Mother’s Day was given back to us. And now we get to celebrate it again. We get to enjoy it again.
“'This day gets to mean what it should have meant this entire time.'” More >
'Little Big League,' but a little different
Pete Crow-Armstrong's mom is known in baseball circles as the mom in a famous baseball movie. But she's a baseball mom in real life, too.
"Crow-Armstrong estimates he was probably around 11 years old and he had started to reach about 70 mph on his throws. Still, his mom, Ashley Crow, readied herself and young Pete wound up and fired a pitch that went awry.
“'I smoked her in the thigh. And that was the last bullpen she ever caught,' Crow-Armstrong said with a laugh. “'But she wore that like a boss.'" More >
Honoring Mom as a dad
Daniel Lynch IV lost his mother just before he turned 16 years old. While he misses her tremendously, he also honors her through his own parenthood.
"Lynch has done a lot of grieving and reflecting in the 12 years his mom has been gone. He’s happy to talk about her because what she went through and what he went through has shaped who he is now.
"It hasn’t been easy without her, and Lynch probably realizes that even more now at 28 years old than when he was younger, especially on the field. Now, he draws on the lessons he understands came from his mom." More >
The self-sacrifice and resilience of baseball wives and moms
When pro ballplayers get traded during the season, it's just one example of how much baseball wives and moms do for their families.
"It’s no secret: In-season trades are tough on ballplayers. Their lives are uprooted in an instant. And within a day or two, they’re expected to perform their job at the highest level -- in a new city, with new co-workers.
"Those trades are even tougher on ballplayers with families. And, ahead of Mother’s Day on Sunday, the two Padres who had their lives uprooted last summer were quick to give all the credit to their wives for their ability to handle the chaos that comes along with their husbands’ gig. More >
Brilliant on the mound, but only because of a brilliant wife and mom
Carlos Rodón is off to a strong start in his third season with the Yankees. But he credits his wife as the one who makes it possible.
"With a 2.96 ERA across his first eight starts this year, Rodón’s performances have provided a stabilizing presence for the rotation. They pale in comparison to what Ashley handles at home, where in the pitcher’s view, she pitches a perfect game each morning and night.
“'We’re very blessed,' Rodón said. 'She’s willing to sacrifice all of her time for her children, and even me as well. She puts everything into those kids, and she’s such a great mother. But I don’t love my wife just for being a mother. I love her as a person.'" More >
Getting traded? Hopefully to your mom's favorite team
When Tommy Edman was traded to the Dodgers, it was a great fit for player and team. And Mom.
"'She grew up in L.A. listening to Vin Scully,' Edman said. 'It was definitely a very cool, kind of full-circle moment, for me to get traded to the Dodgers and for her to be able to root for them again.'
"It takes a figurative village to raise a big leaguer, and more often than not, mothers play an outsized role along every step of the way. Maureen has been that steady presence throughout Edman's baseball journey, from his days in amateur ball to his ongoing tenure as a professional." More >
She's a mom-to-be and has the baseball pants to prove it
Veronica Alvarez is the Athletics' player development coordinator for Latin America. When the club found out she is expecting a child, they came up with a unique uniform upgrade.
"Yes, those maternity baseball pants do exist, and they are a first-of-its-kind as far as Alvarez is aware.
"The idea was sparked by A’s director of player development Ed Sprague. Soon after learning that Alvarez was pregnant, Sprague called A’s Minor League equipment coordinator Thomas Miller during Spring Training asking if he could help create the special pair of pants. It required two different seamstresses and the help of his wife, but Miller finally acquired the perfect pairs, one in gray, the other in white." More >
No better way to get the call
Cam Smith is the Astros' No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline. And when he got the news he had made the Opening Day roster, it came from none other than his mother.
"When Astros manager Joe Espada informed Smith he had made the Opening Day roster after a bang-up performance in Spring Training, Espada pulled his phone out and made a call to have someone come out to make the special announcement. Hocza emerged from behind a wall, and Smith cried as they embraced. You could have heard a pin drop in the clubhouse.
“'It was probably the most special moment I’m ever going to feel in my life,' Smith said. 'I’m glad we got to experience that together because she always wanted to be here.'" More >
The genesis of his love for baseball? His trailblazing mom
Angie Mentink has been broadcasting with the Mariners for nearly 30 years, and she's now a color analyst on telecasts. But while he's very proud of her, she's much more than that to her son, Jaxen, who calls her his "biggest role model by far."
"Beyond her broadcasting role, Jaxen gets giddy when talking about Mentink’s impact on his passion to play baseball. She and her husband, Jarrett, built a backyard batting cage at their suburban Seattle home when he was in third grade.
“'She'd have a glass of wine in one hand and then throwing a ball in the other,' Jaxen said, marveling at his mom’s ability to mix in curveballs to the BP routine. 'I’m not kidding.'" More >
'Mom, leave it alone'
Austin Riley is thankful to have such a supportive -- and funny -- mom.
Remember when Austin Riley faceplanted while scoring a key run in the eighth inning of a 7-6 win over the Cardinals on April 21? His mother Elisa happened to be visiting from Mississippi that night. She made sure to stay awake until her son got home.
"To make sure he was OK?
"'She specifically stayed awake so that she could make fun of me,' Riley said. 'She said she stayed in bed a little longer the next morning just to watch the video. Every once in a while, she’s still like, ‘So, how’s the nose?’ I’m like, ‘Mom, leave it alone.’” More >