Eliezer Alfonzo's MLB bow turned out to be what was potentially the toughest game of his life. Hours before lining up against the Padres, the Dodgers' 26-year-old rookie learned that the bodies of his sister and stepmother had been found beneath the debris left behind by the June 24 twin earthquakes in Venezuela. Despite the unimaginable circumstances, manager Dave Roberts backed him to make his debut while offering his condolences to the youngster.
"I don't really know what to say about it, outside of my heart goes out to him and his family," Roberts said before Sunday's game, per Jack Harris of California Post
. "I don't really want to go too far [into it], because I'll get emotional. I know it's tough. Very tough."
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After the game, Roberts was asked what it felt like to watch Alfonzo in his debut game, considering everything he had gone through.
"Just happy for him. He realized a dream today, said Roberts to the media
. That was certainly on his heart all day, but he did a fantastic job of driving our pitching staff, compartmentalizing. I'm sure after today, it's going to really hit him…all of us feel for him and his father, whom I know, and their family. It's devastating."
Alfonzo is a second-generation MLB player. His father, Eliezer Alfonzo Sr., played in the major leagues from 2006 to 2011, representing the San Francisco Giants
, Colorado Rockies
, Seattle Mariners
, and San Diego Padres
. Ahead of the game, the 26-year-old spoke to his father, who had one piece of advice for him. That was to enjoy his day and honor his stepmother and sister.
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Alfonzo took that advice to heart, and Dodger Nation rose to the occasion with a standing ovation before his very first at-bat. He felt emotional at the time and was happy when his name was announced. He appreciated it and assured fans it was something he would always keep in his heart.
Alfonzo's first game in the big leagues saw him remain hitless in his two at-bats during the Padres' 5-2 victory over the World Series champions. He came to bat in the third inning but was grounded out to shortstop. His next at-bat came in the sixth, when he flied out to center.
From his position behind the plate, the catcher also activated an ABS challenge in the fourth, but it was ultimately incorrect. Just two pitches later, he watched an 86-mph slider pass through the strike zone and wasted no time jogging back to the dugout, even as Xander Bogaerts
challenged the umpire's decision. The longtime minor leaguer remained certain that the five-time Silver Slugger was mistaken.
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While the box score will forever record his first appearance in the majors, what truly defined the day was the courage he showed by stepping onto the field while carrying the weight of his family's tragedy.
Alfonzo revealed the wish he has for his sister
After the game, Alfonzo spoke in Spanish for most of his post-game press conference, switching to English for one moment. He shared that three weeks earlier, his sister had told him that she had a beautiful dream about his baseball career.
"I'm pretty sure the dream was something about this; I wish she was alive to watch me play in the big leagues," he said. "But I know she's in God's side now, and she's gonna protect me, and she's gonna enjoy every moment that I'm gonna have."
16-year-old Eliana watched her older brother begin his professional career in 2017 in the Detroit Tigers
' farm system. Alfonzo spent nearly a decade in the minor leagues before finally earning his call-up. Across 581 minor league games, the 26-year-old hit 32 home runs and 283 RBIs. Now, he has a locker next to Dodgers star and fellow Venezuelan Miguel Rojas
.
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Rojas shared a message on his cap to honor the Alfonzo family's losses and offered words of support to his compatriot.
"It's really tough right now to put into context and to put into words," Rojas said, according to ESPN. "Just for him to be here today and making the decision that he was going to just fulfill his childhood dream of playing in the big leagues, thinking about that and thinking about them and what happened over there and what his dad has to be going through right now by himself in Venezuela — it's really tough."
"For me, I'm just going to support the whole family and especially Eliezer because I know how hard it is to play like that."
"It's been hard for me. Nothing happened to one of my family members, but as soon as I heard the news about them, it kind of hit me as hard as if it was my family. I consider Eliezer Alfonso Sr. one of my close friends in baseball."
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While Rojas's family remained safe, other MLB names were directly affected by the tragedy. The twin earthquakes took the life of Deisy Tovar
, wife of former MLB player Gorkys Hernandez. The catastrophe also struck Victor Bericoto's family; his brother's girlfriend died in the earthquake.
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