SEATTLE -- Mauricio Dubón fought back tears as he talked about how his appreciation for his wife, Nancy, has grown since they became parents for the first time. “I keep telling people, you fall in love differently with your wife when you see her go through labor, the pain and the epidural,” Dubón said. “It’s impressive to see all that she does. That’s why when I get home, I don’t complain about not getting a hit or anything like that, because I know all that she’s had to do that day.” As the Braves conclude a nine-game, 10-day road trip on Sunday at Dodger Stadium, Dubón will be sending long-distance Mother’s Day love to his wife. “There’s a reason I’m here,” Dubón said. “My wife is a big part of my career.” |
Dubón’s fascinating journey to the Majors has been told over the years. He left his native Honduras with a mission family when he was 15, played high school baseball in the Sacramento area, was drafted in the 26th round of the 2013 MLB Draft, debuted in 2019 and now proudly stands as the only MLB player in history to have been born and raised in Honduras. Nancy didn’t become part of this journey until 2017, when she was a student at Loyola University New Orleans, and Mauricio was playing for the Brewers’ Double-A affiliate in nearby Biloxi, Ms. Nancy, who is also from Honduras, has a brother who had received baseball instruction from Dubón’s brother. This led to an introduction and the start of a bond that has only grown over the years. “She’s been there for me through it all,” Dubón said. “She was there for me when I had to turn the light on my phone down just to see if I had enough money before I would take her to dinner.” |
The Dubóns welcomed Luciano into the world in November 2024. The family has made the smooth transition that was necessitated when the Astros traded the two-time Gold Glove utility player to the Braves this past winter. While the environment might have changed, the 24-hour responsibilities of being a mother -- especially one whose husband is either at the ballpark or on the road -- never end. “You can say, ‘She’s a mother, that’s what she has to do,’” Dubón said. “Some parents don’t go above and beyond like she does. I’m happy for my son that that’s his mom.” |
MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Who holds the Braves record for most home runs hit at Dodger Stadium? A) Hank Aaron B) Dale Murphy C) Chipper Jones D) Eddie Mathews |
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JR Ritchie’s father, Ian, is one of the most successful and respected fantasy football experts. But his good fortune obviously isn’t limited to choosing the right quarterbacks and wide receivers. In fact, his most impressive decision might have come in November, when the Seattle-area native chose to exchange 2025 World Series suite tickets for this past Monday’s Braves-Mariners game. Ritchie had purchased a couple of suites with the hope he’d get to see the Mariners play in last year’s World Series. When Seattle was eliminated in the AL Championship Series, he was told he could exchange the tickets for any available date during Seattle’s 2026 regular season. He just happened to choose the game during which his son would experience the thrill of pitching in his hometown for the first time. The elder Ritchie just figured it would be cool to choose a day that the Mariners were playing his son’s organization. He made the choice in November, long before he had any clue that his son would even be at the Major League level at that point. The fact that he chose Monday’s game instead of Tuesday or Wednesday’s contests adds to the splendor of this story. Ritchie made his third career start on Monday in front of the countless friends and family members who flocked to the stadium he had visited numerous times throughout his childhood. “He got pretty lucky on that,” Ritchie said. |
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Braves manager Walt Weiss said it best on Tuesday night when he said, “Bryce is for real” in reference to Bryce Elder, who has a 2.02 ERA through his first eight starts. This is the 14th time, going back to 2000, that a Braves pitcher has posted a 2.02 ERA or better through the first eight starts of a season. Elder accounts for two of those 14 instances. He had a 1.94 ERA through his first eight starts of 2023. Elder has admitted he didn’t have a clue what he was doing when he was relying on his sinker and slider during that 2023 All-Star season. He struggled over the months that followed. But there’s reason to believe this year’s success because it mirrors last year’s late-season success. More importantly, the addition of the cutter and the improvement of the changeup have given him a more complete arsenal. |
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The first 15,000 fans in attendance for Tuesday’s game against the Cubs will receive a Braves Hawaiian Shirt. Adult sizes L and XL are available. Tickets can be purchased here. |
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A) Hank Aaron Aaron hit 22 home runs at the historic ballpark that opened in 1962, which was his ninth MLB season. Murphy hit 21 road homers against Atlanta’s former NL West rivals. |
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