Margaret Maldonado-Velazquez looked around at the Yankee stadium and was proud.
His son Andrew, who grew up a fan of the Yankees and dreamed of the long dream of playing one day on the Bronx field, was preparing the playing field to prepare for his seventh start in eight games for the incarnate leaders of wildcards of the AL.
“It’s amazing, it’s amazing, it’s amazing,” he told The Post before his son got his first day at home in the major leagues as the Yankees extended their streak of wins to nine games with a 7-1 thrashing. of the twins. “It simply came to our notice then. I don’t know what other adjective to use. It’s overwhelming. “
The last few weeks have been a magical carpeted ride for Andrew and his Yankee-loving family as he has adeptly filled Gleyber Torres ’shortstop. He has been living at home with his parents in the Morris Park section of the Bronx, eating homemade meals and doing laundry.
This week the Red Sox rival, three wins that allowed the Yankees to jump from Boston to the standings, occupied that position Andrew. He drove as many races (four) as the Red Sox managed the entire series. And the Bronx native, who performed at Fordham Prep High School, ended up with a phenomenal defensive play at the bottom of the short hole.
“I wanted Major League Baseball to see what my son can do, especially defensively,” said his father, Ken Velazquez Sr. “New York is the biggest stage of all. For him to do it here, in times of pressure, was a bit like, ‘Holy cow [moment]. “
“Andrew has made this play a dozen times in the minor leagues. Nobody knows. He did it here, the world knows it ”.
When he was ten, Andrew held a birthday party at the old Yankees stadium and toured the field. Margaret remembered an image she drew in first grade. It was him in stripes. I was going to play the Yankees. Knowing how difficult it could be, he asked his son what else he wanted to do when he grew up.
“Nothing else, Mom,” he told her. “I just want to play for the Yankees. I just want to be like Derek Jeter. “
Over the past few weeks, he has come to play the same position.
“The same real estate, that’s how I see it,” said Margaret, a school teacher. “Isn’t that amazing?”
It has been far from a straight path to the Bronx for the 27-year-old intern, a selection from the seventh round of the Diamondbacks in the 2012 MLB draft. The Yankees are their fifth organization. He has played in the minor leagues for parts of nine seasons and has amassed 2,705 bats. He finally won the major leagues on September 2, 2018 with the Rays and played 40 career-high games for the Orioles last year, though he scored just 0.159.
He found himself without a team after the season and signed a minor league deal with the Yankees in December. However, Andrew never showed his parents or his brother, Ken Jr., any frustration. His determination never diminished. His work ethic did not fall.
“Andrew was always a child from birth who had a lot of will and a lot of confidence,” Margaret said. “He has all this positive thinking, positive thinking. I learned a lot from him thinking positively and only setting goals.
He is still working to control his nerves. Margaret gets nervous when Andrew is on the plate. He prays and sometimes closes his eyes.
“I just hope to hear the sound of the bat,” he said.
On Saturday, Margaret was able to see her son circle the bases for the first time in his career in the Major League, after scoring in the eighth inning of the unbalanced victory. He continued his impressive play.
When Torres entered the injured list with a torn thumb on August 9, Velazquez fired with his hometown team and has made the most of it. He has played a strong defense on the short field, achieved great success and contributed to the Yankees ’longest winning streak of the year.
Velázquez’s father, a retired police officer, has seen in person some memorable encounters between the Yankees and the Red Sox. The famous rivalry has produced some moments that are etched in his memory. But nothing could surpass this past series.
“It’s different when your child is safe there,” Ken Sr. said.
Recently, last fall, Andrew trained at the nearby Macombs Dam Park and wondered what it would be like to call the stadium home. Now he knows the feeling.
“He lives his dream every day,” his father said.