MIAMI -- Tired: Dance like no one’s watching. Wired: Dance because you never know who might be watching. In a span of minutes, 8-year-old Marlins fan Noah Rodriguez went from hamming it up on Marlins Vision to becoming a viral sensation thanks to Javier Sanoja. Noah’s arc began last month, when he attended a game with family friends. Although Noah is no stranger to appearing on the jumbotron, his moves this time around -- dabs and hip thrusts -- alongside Pepito the Rooster mascot captured the attention of everyone in the ballpark … including those on the field. “Of course, I get to see that,” Sanoja said via interpreter Luis Dorante Jr. “I pay attention, and at the end of the day, it's a show, and we're all part of it, and we come here to have fun. You can see he’s truly loose.” Later, Noah’s mother, Marianela Perez, was shown a video of her son dancing by her friend. She thought nothing of it until the family went to a game together on May 23 and was told by Sheila Marquez of Miami's game entertainment team that Noah was famous. Turns out the Marlins had incorporated Noah’s dance moves into their new on-base celebration, with Sanoja as the ringleader. “I was like, ‘God, wait until I go home,’” Marianela said. “And I go on Instagram, and I'm like, ‘Oh my God. They do it.’ So he went crazy. We didn't know.” |
Added Noah: “He did my dance, and it kind of made me speechless because nobody ever did that for me.” Sanoja, with the assistance of Dorante, tracked down the footage and posted about it on his Instagram account with the caption: “Vívela como un niño.” Or “Live like a child.” “They put him on the scoreboard, and I saw his energy,” Sanoja said. “I love kids. I love the energy he was reflecting, and I did post it, and I said that we've got to enjoy this game just like a kid. “It was more like an instinct. It just came through my head. I saw the image in my head. I started dancing, and I guess they all saw the energy, how fun it was, and the way we could do it.” This past Friday, Noah and his parents were VIP guests for batting practice at loanDepot park. Manager Clayton McCullough stopped by asking if this was “the famous Noah,” then showed off his dance moves to the approval of the youngster. The pair even confessed to sharing a favorite player (Sanoja). Jakob Marsee coached Noah on how to hold a microphone and field tough questions. Sanoja then invited a mic’d-up Noah away from his parents, Yunior Rodriguez and Marianela, for a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse inside the Marlins’ clubhouse. There, Noah met Sanoja’s teammates and even came away with souvenirs -- from a City Connect cap, to Leo Jiménez signed batting gloves, to a signed Sanoja bat. |
“I just wanted him to have more of an inside look of what we do here, our routine that we do before the game,” Sanoja said. “It reminded me when I used to go to a ballpark, watch the other team play, and I wish I could have that insight. Somebody's family member texted me saying that he had a pleasant day, and to me, it's just a pure joy to see that.” Noah’s captivating personality is even more endearing considering what life has thrown at him. Diagnosed with leukemia at age 2, Noah has been in remission since 2023. Once an aspiring astronaut, Noah now wants to be a baseball player. In case he needed any extra motivation, Sanoja gifted Noah two pairs of his batting gloves to grow into. “He's always been like that,” Marianela said. “He'll just talk to anyone, and then he overshares. I hope he never changes. I want him to be that way forever.” So do the Marlins, who will be on the lookout for Noah’s latest dance moves for inspiration. |
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The Marlins recently announced their May recipients for the organization’s Next Wave Awards, recognizing the top performers across the Minor Leagues. The honorees are as follows: Pitcher of the Month: Right-hander Karson Milbrandt (the Marlins’ No. 5 prospect)
The 22-year-old led all Minor Leaguers with 47 strikeouts, while his 0.94 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and .162 average against ranked first among all qualified Southern League starters. For his efforts, Milbrandt was named Southern League Pitcher of the Week twice in a row for Double-A Pensacola. Hitter of the Month: Outfielder Andrew Pintar Pintar, 25, led Triple-A Jacksonville with a .419 on-base percentage and finished second with a 1.016 OPS in May. According to the Marlins, his .445 expected weighted on-base average was in the 99th percentile of Triple-A. Defensive Player of the Month: Infielder Carter Johnson
Per the Marlins, the 20-year-old posted a Single-A-leading 3.7 outs above average at three positions for the Hammerheads: second base (10 games), third base (eight) and shortstop (five). Baserunner of the Month: Outfielder Brendan Jones (the Marlins’ No. 18 prospect)
Jones, 24, led the organization and Southern League with 16 steals while being caught just once during the month of May for the Blue Wahoos. Fish of the Month: Right-hander Yohanfer Santana (the Marlins’ No. 29 prospect)
In his first season with the Florida Complex League Marlins, the 20-year-old earned this honor for best embodying what it means to be an outstanding teammate within the organization. |
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