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NEW YORK, NY — A father’s love was on display Monday as Marlins rookie Isan Diaz knocked his first home run out of the park in his very first Major League game.
“It was a great moment — something I will never forget and he was very excited,” said Diaz of his dad after reminding everyone why Americans love baseball with his sixth inning shot in game one of a doubleheader against the New York Mets. “If we would have won, it would have been better.”
That’s not necessarily the case as Diaz became a bright spot in the Marlins otherwise unremarkable season.
Few people in Miami will remember that the team dropped game one of the doubleheader by a score of 6-2 at Citi Field, but no one will forget the reaction of Diaz’ father, Raul.
The family just happened to be doing a live television interview at the precise moment the second baseman got his first big league home run against reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom.
Diaz’ father roared his approval, pointing both arms to the sky as if to signal a touchdown rather than a home run.
He held his arms up for what seemed like an eternity — but was, in reality, only about 22 seconds — knowing that his son grew up a Mets fan in Massachusetts. That made the Diaz’ big league debut against the Mets seem even more remarkable, perhaps even magical.
It was a fastball up and in, according to Diaz, who said that he was lucky to catch the pitch on the barrel of the bat after deGrom had been attacking him with his slider.
“How ironic that Isan’s idol is [Mets second baseman] Robinson Cano, who he got to know very well during Spring Training,” Raul said in a later interview. “How surreal is it that he makes his Major League debut 2 1/2 hours from our hometown, where we have 50-plus people, family and friends who are attending the game today?”
Watch the video above.