NEW YORK – Throughout the Majors, players from each team have talked about the excitement of being able to count on the presence of fans in the stands again, but there was an additional feeling for the Venezuelan Yankees shortstop, Gleyber Torres , in the inaugural series at home.
“My parents see me again,” Torres said. “Last year, I couldn’t see my parents, so for me it’s very important that they see me play, like when I was young.”
The native of Caracas was raised by his parents, Eusebio Torres and Ibelise Castro, who stayed in Venezuela last year. Torres started playing baseball when he was five and his father says he started noticing his special skills at nine.
“At nine, the kids play baseball, but they don’t stand out like Gleyber did,” Eusebio Torres said in 2019. “That allowed me to dream and realize that Gleyber had a special talent. When I was nine, I started to visualize it and I told his mother and grandmother that Gleyber would play professional baseball. “
Although the Yankee Stadium has been at a maximum of 20% capacity – the highest attendance has been 10,850 people – Torres says he has been thrilled to be able to have an audience at the stadium again.
“It’s very good,” Torres said. “I’m excited to see my parents every day. They come on the field and see me play. I’m grateful to have them and the fans in the stands. It’s amazing to play in New York and see thousands of fans giving us support “.