HOUSTON -- For Astros manager Joe Espada, Tuesday held what was perhaps the most enjoyable moment he's ever had on a baseball field, and certainly one he and his daughter will remember forever. Viviana, Espada's youngest daughter, threw out one of the ceremonial first pitches prior to Tuesday's game as part of the Astros' third annual Autism Awareness Night, with dad serving as the proud catcher. She was diagnosed with autism in 2017, and has made incredible strides in her social circles and schoolwork in recent years. "It's a big night for our family," Espada said. Brady Columbus, the 11-year-old godson of Alex Bregman, also threw out a ceremonial pitch. Brady, who is the son of Bregman's hitting coach Jason Columbus, has autism, which is why Bregman is a huge supporter of the cause. Autism Awareness Night featured lower public address volumes at Minute Maid Park and a sensory room that included video games and sensory toys. "It requires a lot of patience and love and understanding and acceptance to deal with autism," Espada said. |
In 2017, Espada and his wife, Pamela, noticed some behavioral differences in their youngest daughter, whom the family calls Vivi. She was just 2 years old at the time. Viviana was too young to be formally diagnosed with autism, but that would come the following summer. "She was just entering pre-K," Espada said. "That's when we started seeing things where kids her age, especially in the park, she wasn't on par with the rest of the kids. But now she has come a really long way. We are really proud of the work she's done." Espada said Viviana has made so much progress from a few years ago, when she wasn't communicating very well with kids her age. |
"Now when she's at school and I go out to lunch with her, I see her playing at recess with kids and how she interacts and how accepting they are of her. It tells you how far she's come and how hard she's worked to be more in that normal age group," he said. "Her grades at school, how we celebrate how she makes strides in her math, science and reading, those are the victories I enjoy the most." Espada said it's important to use his platform to create more awareness for autism, while reaching out to people who don't have the ability to get the assistance the family needs. "We need to do everything in our power to open the doors for people to understand this is real, but there's help and we have to extend our arms to help others," Espada said. "Major League Baseball is doing a pretty good job, but we need to do more. I need to do more. Alex Bregman is always doing more, and we won't stop until we can reach as many homes and as many families as we have to." |
ESPADA TO ENTER MOBILE HALL OF FAME |
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While the Astros will be headed 230 miles north on Thursday's off-day ahead of a four-game set against the Rangers that begins on Friday at Globe Life Field, Espada will be headed east. He will be inducted into the University of Mobile Athletics Hall of Fame during a dinner on Thursday night in Mobile, Ala. "The University of Mobile is like home," he said. "I was welcomed there a very long time ago … and the university did so many wonderful things for me and they continue to do for my family. I can't wait to go out there and spend a day and see friends and celebrate that special day." Espada had an offer to sign with the Brewers out of high school in Puerto Rico, but decided to attend college at the request of his parents. In 1993, he was at a tournament in Huntsville, Ala., and was seen by former Mobile coach Mike Jacobs, who founded the program. "It was one of the best decisions I ever made to go to college," he said. "I started as a freshman. It helped my professional career, my development as a person and I had had three wonderful years playing there." Espada, who was drafted in the second round by the A's in 1996, still holds the school's top two single-season batting averages of .468 in 1995 and .446 in 1996, as well as the top overall career batting average of .442. |
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PEÑA'S HOME RUN DROUGHT ENDS |
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One of the biggest storylines of the spring was how shortstop Jeremy Peña had reworked his batting stance. Peña didn't hit a home run last season after July 5, which sent him back to the drawing board to retool his swing. The goal was to limit his movement in the box and return to driving the ball to the outfield. So when Peña walloped his first homer of the season in Monday's 10-0 win over the Blue Jays, it was a huge moment of relief for him … and the Astros. It was his first homer in 294 at-bats, and Pena expressed his relief when he walked to the dugout with his arms out and looking up to the sky. "I felt good in spring," he said. "I felt good at the end of spring. I'm confident in what we're working on and we're going to keep building off of that." Said Espada: "The fact that he pulled the ball in the air and hit a homer to the pull side, it was a sigh of relief. I was excited the way he's hitting the ball in the air to all fields. He's in a really good hitting position right now and he's swinging at strikes, which is also very important." Peña's teammates tried to give him the silent treatment in the dugout, but he wasn't impressed. "It was a poor job because the guys in the front were standing up and some of the guys in the back of the dugout were sitting down," Peña joked. "I didn't care what they were doing. I was happy and no one was going to ruin that moment for me." |
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