Ramon Fuentes had quite an eventful day, especially considering his age.
He boarded a last-minute flight from Colombia to Miami to watch his son Didier make his MLB debut. And, believe it or not, he even snagged a foul ball while sitting in the stands at Loandopot Park.
Actually, he got that live MLB ball in the first inning, even before Didier had his turn on the mound about half an inning later.
It all happened during an early moment in the game, with two outs in the top of the first. Austin Riley sent two fastballs sailing along the first baseline, courtesy of Marlins’ starter Janson Junk.
The ball hit the netting and landed just out of reach of Ramon’s hand.
“On my first day here, catching a foul ball in a game where my son is pitching? I mean, people have told me for decades to go to a big league game,” he said. “I hope that’s a good omen for tonight.”
Didier’s debut didn’t quite go as he or Ramon had hoped; he pitched five innings but allowed four runs and six hits in a 6-2 loss to the Marlins.
Nonetheless, Didier stands out as the 10th best prospect in the Braves organization. He also made headlines for being the youngest Atlanta starter since 1969 and the youngest active player in the majors, following the path of Julio Urias, who debuted for the Dodgers in August 2016.
Just a few days shy of his 20th birthday, Didier had a rocky start but the experience was monumental for him. It was almost like a perfect Father’s Day gift for Ramon, capped off with the foul ball as a memorable memento.
