This is the time of year when some inner moments occur in baseball club houses as players learn that they have made the MLB opening day list.
Whether it’s a top view, or a smaller Leaguer that puts in years of work to finally get the call, it’s always so special moment.
For New York Yankees, the waterworks appeared in the office as manager Aaron Boone as he let Catcher JC Escarra know he was on his way to New York instead of a minor league task after a fantastic spring training.
CLICK HERE for more sports cover at Foxnews.com
New York Yankee’s designated hitter JC Escarra doubles against Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth round during spring training at TD Ballpark. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Preferred Pictures)
Escarra was an Uber driver and replacement teacher to help pay his bills while playing for independent clubs for two years. It helped keep his big league alive.
Now 29 years old, Escarra doesn’t have to worry about it anymore as Boone gave him something to call his mother and grandmother. Yankees caught the moment when Escarra was tearful with her loved ones over Facetime before returning to work.
“It feels amazing,” Escarra said via the New York Post on Sunday morning. “There is a lot of time coming. I was just grateful to be here first, and now my dreams are going to reality. Now is the easy part. Now it’s just playing baseball on the biggest stage, so I’m excited about what’s going to come.”
Escarra added that he is not much of a crier, but it is hard not when he knew how his mother would react.
“It’s just a special moment,” he said. “Especially moment of what I’ve been through because she’s gone through it with me too.”
New York Yankee’s designated hitter JC Escarra doubles against Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth round during spring training at TD Ballpark. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Preferred Pictures)
Escarra said he earned about $ 400 every two weeks while playing independent ball, and he also went to play abroad, regardless of the season, to keep the dream alive. He just tried to perform “all these odd jobs just to provide for my family,” and there were times when he thought it wouldn’t work.
Skip this spring training and you would think it a no-brainer Boone, and Yankees wanted him to break the camp with the big club when he hit .333 with three homers and eight RBI over 48 bats.
Last season when he played for both Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, cut Escarra .261/.355/.434 with 12 Homers and 64 RBI.
Now he will be focused on making an influence where he can with this Yankee’s team hoping to be back in the World Series after losing to Los Angeles Dodgers back in October in five games.
Escarra turns out to be backup -catcher to Austin Wells.
New York Yankees Catcher JC Escarra celebrates after hitting a home drive against Philadelphia Phillies in the seventh round during spring training on George M. Steinbrenner Field. (Nathan Ray Seebeck-Preferred Pictures)
“I feel like I did everything from my side to show that I could help the team win. Thank God the opportunity is here,” Escarra said.
Yankees opens their schedule for the season at home in Bronx against Milwaukee Brewers. Escarra expects many friends and family to be ready to witness the moment he debuts that could come during the first series.
