Players celebrate Tres Reyes, Herrera signs and a special ball is for sale
By Andy Martinez
Stars give back for Tres Reyes
Peloteros found time to make it a joyous Dia de Los Reyes (Three Kings Day) for children in their native countries. Johnny Cueto shared several images of him donating toys to niños in the Dominican Republic.
Robinson Canó gifted toy trucks and dolls to children in his DR hometown of San Pedro de Macorís.
Also playing Santa in the Dominican Republic was St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Marcell Ozuna, who added this touching caption: “Giving back, thanks to God, who put it in my hands to help every child whose parents don’t have the possibility to make them happy on a day like today. God bless everyone.”
But Dominicans weren’t the only ones giving back. Boricuas José Berríos and Javy Báez gave the gift of their time and talent, hosting a clinic for peloteros in Puerto Rico.
OK, who’s chopping the onions?!
White Sox, Herrera agree to two-year deal
According to ESPN reporter Jeff Passan, free agent reliever Kelvin Herrera signed a two-year, $18 million deal with the Chicago White Sox that includes an option for a third year. Herrera saved 17 games last season with Kansas City and Washington.
Bautista’s HR ball for sale
Saturday, our El Profe, Adrian Burgos Jr., remembered José Bautista’s playoff home run and ensuing bat flip. Sunday, that moment was in the headlines again. The ball (to be fair, we thought it had landed into the stratosphere) went up for auction. As of noon Monday, the bidding was over $5,000. Not going to judge, but if you’re looking for an awesome souvenir, here’s the link to buy it. We might prefer to spend that money on some sancocho or mangú, but to each their own.
Polanco swinging
Back in September, Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Gregory Polanco suffered an acute left shoulder dislocation sliding into second base. The Dominicano underwent surgery a week later to stabilize the injury and it was announced that he was expected to miss seven to nine months. Monday afternoon, however, Polanco posted a video of him hitting off a tee, the first time he’s swung a bat since the injury. Here’s hoping we’ll see El Coffee back on the field sooner rather than later!
Pro Post of the Day
So how does a Hall of Famer celebrate #NationalBobbleheadDay? Vladimir Guerrero shared a photo of him next to a larger-than-life bobble of himself in Harrisburg, Pa.
Fan Post of the Day
Hall of Famers weren’t the only ones checking in on with their bobbleheads. It was tough choosing just one, but we decided to go with this awesome bobblehead of Edgar Martínez as our Fan Post of the Day.
Happy Birthday!
Alfonso Soriano, former Cubs, Yankees, Rangers infielder (b. 1976)
Francisco Rodríguez, former Angels closer (b. 1982)
Edwin Encarnación, Seattle Mariners infielder (b. 1983)
Jhoulys Chacín, Milwaukee Brewers pitcher (b. 1988)
Thyago Viera, Chicago White Sox reliever (b. 1993)
Ozzie Albies, Atlanta Braves infielder (b. 1997)
OTD
2012 – Reports surface that Yankees catcher Jorge Posada is set to announce his retirement after 17 years. He officially retires on January 24.
Featured Image: José Berríos Instagram