The St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees faced off over the weekend on Players Weekend, where players honored things important to them in various ways.
One of the most noteworthy and heartwarming moments from players' weekend came from Cardinals catcher Yohel Pozo. The 28-year-old catcher used a bat that honored his son, Paul Pozo, in the series finale against the Yankees.
MLB.com writer John Denton delved into more detail regarding the catcher's bat, the story behind the handprints decorating the bat's length, and Pozo's reaction to hitting a home run with said bat to take the lead.
"Paul Pozo suffered a series of strokes after being born in March of 2020, and he walked and talked well ahead of when doctors ever thought he would do so." Denton writes. "Paul's painted handprint was on the 34-inch, 31-ounce maple bat used for Sunday's homer, along with others from children fighting to get better at the nearby hospital."
In the sixth inning, Pozo hit a go-ahead home run using the bat with the handprints of his sons and other children. It was an emotional trip around the bases for Pozo, and after the game, he revealed more of the story and why he felt so emotional amid his home run.
"The kids asked me if I could hit a homer and I was like,' Well, I'm going to try,' and then it happens -- as soon as I saw the ball and it was a homer -- I almost started crying running the bases just thinking about it," Pozo said. "I hope (the kids in the hospital) see that and see that I hit that homer for them."
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The home run lifted the Cardinals to a 4-3 lead, and while they didn't come out on top at the end of the day, the home run hit by Pozo was an emotional and incredible moment.
This season, Pozo has hit five home runs, with this solo shot being his first since July 12th, over a month ago.
For Pozo, it was more than just a go-ahead home run; it was a way for him to honor his son, who is fighting every day. Combined with the children he honored at the hospital going through similar complications, it was an incredible moment for Pozo.
The Cardinals catcher is planning to auction off the bat, with all proceeds going to Mercy Children's Hospital in St. Louis. With the emotional story behind the home run, his go-ahead sixth-inning homer is a lot more special than it already was.
On Players Weekend, Pozo honored his son and other children dealing with similar complications with his custom bat, which was decorated with the handprints of children from the hospital, along with his son's.
The home run he hit honored his promise to those children, as he sent a hanging slider deep to left center for a go-ahead solo home run in the sixth inning. His trip around the bases nearly left him crying, as the story behind the home run is incredible and heartwarming.
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