ROCKY RIVER — It was the perfect birthday gift.
Dalton, an 8-year-old from Garrettsville, does his best to play like Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez , enough that his mother, Shelby, calls him, "Little Andres."
Dalton also does his best to look the part. He has a few chain necklaces. He has some flashy sunglasses.
So a few months ago, as his eighth birthday rolled around, Dalton's parents surprised him with a home run gift, as they signed up for Gimenez's youth camp , held Monday morning at Lutheran West High School.
The only problem? Dalton had to wait three months, but Monday's camp finally arrived.
"He loves Andres," Shelby said with a smile as she watched Dalton during the camp. "I call him 'Little Andres' because that's how he acts on the field."
The long wait and the drive to camp that seemed like it took forever for Dalton was worth it. During the three-hour clinic, Dalton and a few dozen other kids grades in grades one through eight went through some games and drills, interacted with Gimenez, hit wiffle balls tossed by the Guardians second baseman, took part in a Home Run Derby and asked him some questions during a Q-and-A session.
Gimenez also worked one-on-one with kids, including Dalton, which gave Little Andres a chance to show off some skills at a ground ball station.
"He [showboated] a little bit," Shelby said of Dalton, laughing. "Andres went, 'Oh, that was too easy for you,' and he threw him a hard one."
Upon reaching the majors, Gimenez looked for ways to give back to kids learning the game of baseball, so he partnered with ProCamps, which helped organize the event.
"Honestly, that was a day in my year that I was waiting for," Gimenez said. "I enjoy it a lot — a lot. And sharing experiences with the kids, it's always special because they're going to be the next players. It's crazy, because when I was a kid, MLB [seemed so far off] and now to be in this position and have the chance to talk with the young guys and share experiences, that's a huge honor for me."
Dalton, of course, hopes he can follow in Gimenez's footsteps.
"I think it's amazing and it helps these kids go," Shelby said. "[Dalton]'s goal is MLB. … That's what he keeps telling us. So I said, 'I hope. Fingers crossed, kid.'"
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com. Read more about the Guardians at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/cleveland-guardians. Follow him on Threads at @ByRyanLewis .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Guardians Andres Gimenez youth camp helps kids in baseball
