ST. LOUIS -- When catcher Yohel Pozo dreams, it’s not about throwing out basestealers or delivering game-winning hits -- as he did on Saturday with his first career walk-off knock or on Thursday in Chicago with his go-ahead single when the Cardinals rallied past the White Sox. Instead, he dreams about a family reunited -- in the name of baseball, of course -- so that three generations of Pozos can finally live out their once-thought-to-be-impossible big league dreams together and in person. Rafael Pozo, son Yohel Pozo and the grandson by the same name, Yohel -- the Cardinals’ backup catcher and one of their best bats off the bench because of his exceptional bat-to-ball skills -- have long shared the dream of playing baseball professionally at the MLB level. Decades ago, Rafael was a standout baseball player in Venezuela, and he passed along his love for the sport to son Yohel, who was a Minor Leaguer in the Cubs’ and Rockies’ systems from 1992-96, but never reached the big leagues. That’s something the youngest Yohel did -- first with the Rangers in 2021 and again this season with the Cardinals. In between MLB stints, Yohel and his family fell on exceptionally hard times during the COVID-19 pandemic -- including a stint where he and his family were homeless and lived in their car while caring for ill son Paul -- but he never quit chasing his MLB dreams. Pozo’s promotion from Triple-A Memphis to St. Louis on April 7 had Rafael -- long his biggest follower and supporter -- crying tears of joy just as he had a few years earlier. |
“When I made it [to the big leagues] in 2021, he said it was a dream come true for the whole family,” Pozo said from inside the Cardinals’ clubhouse. “Of course, I hope this never happens, but the other day my grandpa told me, ‘I can die today a happy man because you made our dreams come true. To see one of my kids playing on [television], it's so amazing.’” Heartwarming stuff, indeed, but Pozo thinks his ultimate dream -- having the three generations of the family together in an MLB stadium -- would be the prize that he’s only been able to envision in his mind so far. Acquiring visas from Venezuela to the United States has been difficult through the years, and he hasn’t been able to see his father in person since 2017. Still, Pozo holds out hope that his grandfather and father will someday fill two of the seats in Busch Stadium to watch him play the game they’ve loved much of their lives. “My dream is one day to have a chance to bring my dad and my grandpa to the States, and then they can see me playing,” said Pozo, whose catching opportunities will likely increase over the next three weeks with Iván Herrera out an extended period with a left hamstring strain. “That would mean everything to me and to our family.” |
After all, Pozo said he would have likely never made it this far without the help of two men who pinned their big league dreams on the player with the tremendous hand-eye coordination. To sharpen those skills, Rafael and the senior Yohel had some rather unique and challenging drills for Pozo. “My grandpa and my dad, back in Venezuela when I was young, they would throw me black beans to hit,” said Pozo, who hit .284 in 21 games with the Rangers in 2021 and is batting .308 with two homers, three doubles and eight RBIs in 25 games with the Cardinals. “Then it became them throwing me black beans at night, so they would be really hard to see, but it helped me focus better. They were hard to see in the day and especially hard to see at night, but I loved it. We do a lot of stuff like that [in Venezuela], and it made me a better hitter.” As evidence of that, Pozo has struck out just three times in 65 at-bats this season. Again, he’d give anything to have his granddad and father seated at Busch Stadium and seeing him handle the bat in person. “I send them pictures and videos of everywhere we go as a team so they can see what I’m living and feel like they are right there with me,” Pozo said. “I’ve told them all about Busch Stadium and told them about how nice it is and beautiful. “I know it’s hard right now with what is going on, but I just want to be able to have my dad and grandpa here to watch me play. My grandpa has never gotten to watch me play professionally, and my dad only saw me play in the Dominican Summer League. So, if I can ever get them here to see me play, that would be a dream come true.” |
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FUTURE CARDS HALL OF FAMER ÉDGAR RENTERÍA BACK AT BUSCH |
Édgar Rentería, who will be inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame along with the late Walt Jocketty and former reliever/broadcaster Al Hrabosky on Sept. 6, admitted on Saturday that he still has plenty of sleepless nights when thinking about the 2004 Cardinals falling short of winning a World Series. That 105-win team had three players -- Albert Pujols, Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds -- finish in the top five in the voting for the National League MVP Award that year. However, the Cardinals were swept in the World Series by the Red Sox. “I can’t sleep because I am still thinking about that team and wondering, ‘Why couldn’t we have been the team to win that World Series?’” Rentería said. “We did everything, but we couldn’t win it, but that’s baseball.” Rentería, now 49, starred at shortstop for the Cardinals from 1999-2004, slashing .290/.347/.420 with 71 homers and 451 RBIs in 903 games. He admitted being surprised upon getting the Cards’ Hall call. “It was so exciting for me, my family and all of Colombia,” he said. “Colombia is excited to see me get a red jacket with the Cardinals. I had big memories here. We never won a World Series, but we tried. They won it two years later [in 2006], and I feel like I was with them on the field, because I love St. Louis. It’s a great honor to be in their Hall of Fame.” |
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