From Teen Fatherhood to Major League Stardom: The Journey of José Berríos

12 days after turning 19, José Berríos became the father of Valentina along with his girlfriend and now wife Jannieliz Márquez while he was pitching at the ‘rookie’ level as a prospect in the minor leagues with the Minnesota Twins organization.

It was an unplanned pregnancy that completely changed the Bayamo native’s perspective. The mission of fulfilling his dream of being a Major League pitcher was amplified. Now, he also had to become an example person for his new family.

“It was a situation where I put myself in. What I did was face it with the support of my family and my work group to stay focused. I used my daughter as motivation to keep moving forward and not lower my head, without giving up,” Berríos shared with El Nuevo Día via telephone from New York, where she received her first Gold Glove award this week.

“Now it wasn’t just me, my girlfriend and my parents. It was her too. I understand that everything was for a purpose at an early age. It wasn’t easy, but I’ve done it and I’ve gotten to where I am right now,” she added.

Some 11 years later, Berríos is also the father of little Sebastián and Diego, in addition to being the main Puerto Rican pitcher in the Majors with the Toronto Blue Jays, after signing a $131 million pact for seven years in 2021. It is the fourth most lucrative deal for a Puerto Rican in MLB.

Off the mound, the 29-year-old right-hander has dedicated his time to giving back to the community with his José “La Makina” Berríos Foundation. His next philanthropic endeavor will be hosting a charity softball game with his teammate, Dominican slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., on December 9 at Roberto Clemente Walker Stadium in Carolina.

The event will benefit both baseball players’ foundations. Guerrero works with the entity VG27, which helps families in his native Dominican Republic, the United States and Canada.

Berríos’ activity is one more way to instill in his children about the duty that their father has as a public figure to impact young people and families on and off the island.

“Little by little I have told them, as well as my family and friends, that baseball is a blessing, my job and what brings bread to my house every day. But, baseball ends, and the life of one, José Berríos, continues. I understand that it is the most valuable thing, to be able to continue doing what I was passionate about. I don’t see it as an obligation, but rather it is in me and in my heart to be able to be an example,” he noted.

“More than an example, it is motivation and inspiration. If I have achieved it, the people who see me also have the opportunity to achieve it. It is a matter of wanting it, of being willing to pay the price of the sacrifice and process. Create a plan, a goal and go after them. Being able to teach that to my children who see me every day, wanting to be like dad or someone else, I take it as a great honor and that is why I give 100 percent to be a better human being to motivate young people,” he reflected.

“Team Rubio” meeting

For the “party” on December 9, Berríos gave a preview on social networks about the stars who will be on the field with him. In a challenge to Guerrero Jr, he tagged the members of “Team Rubio” Francisco Lindor, Javier Báez, Edwin “Sugar” Díaz, Emmanuel Rivera, Alexis Díaz, Eddie Rosario and the leader Yadier Molina, as part of his team. .

Guerrero Jr., for his part, would have at his side the stars Gabriel Moreno, Santiago Espinal, Teoscar Hernández, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Oneil Cruz, among others.

“That’s the idea. We invited them. I understand that the majority will be willing to go. We have always stayed close since 2017. We chat together and stay in communication throughout the seasons. When we visit each other (in games), we see each other and share. It is being able to give the public the opportunity to interact in a way that is closer to us. We have a responsibility to be a light for children,” she expressed.

A unique golden glove

This week, Berríos was announced as the American League pitcher worthy of the Gold Glove. The award made him the first Puerto Rican pitcher to be honored with the trophy, in addition to the 20th Puerto Rican player in Major League history to sign up for the minus one.

“It is an honor. Personally, I am happy and proud because I am passionate about baseball, I am passionate about my job. Being a good pitcher, but having the privilege of being a Gold Glove is an honor because I really value defense a lot. I grew up playing position. The way I still have fun is catching ground balls in practice with the guys. I am still passionate about it,” he said.

Berríos finished the 2023 campaign with a record of 11-12, but a 3.65 ERA with 185 strikeouts. Additionally, he had 43 defensive opportunities, made 26 assists and only two errors for a defensive percentage of .953.

It was Berríos’ third nomination for the award, and in the end it was the charm for him.

“I always had it in my mind to be a good “fielder.” Being able to be recognized with that award is a privilege. As I told my family, if I didn’t earn it before it wasn’t because I was bad. Everything is due to analytics and statistics, and others previously were more deserving than me,” he indicated.

In the past the bad taste of the playoffs

Berríos finished the 2023 campaign in a bittersweet manner due to his premature departure in the second game of the wild card series between Toronto and Minnesota.

Berríos started the “sudden death” game for the Blue Jays. He struck out five and allowed no runs in the first three innings against the Twins. At the beginning of the fourth inning, he walked and was then removed by manager John Schneider with just 47 pitches recorded.

Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi came on in relief and Minnesota greeted him with a pair of RBIs, enough to eliminate the Blue Jays from the postseason in a two-game sweep.

After the elimination, Berríos did not seem very happy with the decision, when speaking to the media. It was a strategy criticized by both the press and Blue Jays fans.

More than a month after the event, Berríos assured that there are no misunderstandings with the Blue Jays management after chatting in the middle of the offseason about what happened.

“It was frustrating but it’s been a month now. I turned the page. About the fourth day after what happened, I managed to calm down, and I recognized and accepted the situation. I talked to the manager and the manager, and we fixed it. We are adult and mature human beings. We were able to communicate. They gave me their reasons. I gave mine, how I felt about it. We have already closed that page and are preparing for the 2024 season″, he declared.

Berríos will go into his ninth season in the Majors. The two-time All-Star has a career record of 83-66 with a 4.15 ERA and 1,190 strikeouts.

2023-11-11 03:56:22
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