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Dominic SmithA thrilling walk-off grand slam capped a thrilling victory for the Atlanta Braves, but the moment meant much more than just another record in the win column.
As Smith sent Braves fans home after a win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday, March 29, the designated hitter revealed that his mother passed away from cancer less than two weeks ago.
“I’m trying to hold back the tears right now,” Smith told reporters after the game. “I feel her every day. I miss her so much. I think about her all the time. Like I said, I’m so grateful because this team knows what I’m going through. So, you know, they really saved me the last few weeks.”
Smith admitted he got “choked up a lot” thinking about his mom during Saturday’s game-winning home run and subsequent celebration. He said the team had been very supportive of him and his family during his mother’s illness.
He revealed she was diagnosed with cancer in September and was “scared” when spring training began in February. Smith was away from the team for a week and a half during the preseason and returned to training camp when he could continue trying to earn a spot on the major league roster.
Smith was one of the last players to make the cut on Opening Day.
Dominic Smith celebrates with teammates after hitting a grand slam
Edward Pio Rodda/Getty Images“This team is awesome,” Smith said. “I’m lucky because they show me love and support every day. They ask about her, they ask about her well-being, my well-being, and that’s all they really care about. They don’t care about baseball.”
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Alex Vecia made his long-awaited return to baseball, honoring his late daughter and wife on the mound. During the seventh inning of the Dodgers’ game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday, March 27, Vecia took the field wearing a dark pink glove that was engraved with his late daughter’s name, Sterling Sauer(…)
The home run also entered Smith’s name in the MLB record books, making him the first player in league history to hit a grand slam in his debut with a new team, according to Elias Sports Bureau.
His towering homer capped the Braves’ comeback in a six-run ninth inning.
“It’s just amazing,” Smith said. “Playing the Warriors for a long time and being on the other side, a lot of those endings hurt, so it was just fun to be on the right side this time.”
The Major League Baseball (MLB) veteran has been with the league since making his debut for the New York Mets in 2017. He also played for the Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants and now the Braves.
