Alijondro Jacqueson shares how his grandfather influenced his love of playing baseball.
I’ve never really liked sports. While I enjoyed watching and playing sports at school, it wasn’t a big deal to me. I cared more about my grades and doing well in school, and coming home with straight As. However, when I got into high school and discovered a baseball team, something inside me urged me to join. I grew up in a household filled with sports players and fans, but I didn’t find my passion for it until recently.
That’s when I realized I loved baseball more than anything else. Coming from Oakland made me love the Raiders, Golden State Warriors, and the A’s, especially the A’s games when they had the fireworks shows or night games. I also enjoyed the celebrations around the Bay Area when the Warriors won championships. My love for baseball comes from my Lito (my grandfather).
He would always take me to A’s games, and was even able to get me a home run ball once when I was younger. He would sometimes take me out of school early to watch them with him or have a fun day with him. Those were some of the best days of my life. Now, playing baseball allows me to feel a deeper connection to him every day since he passed away. Prior to baseball, I mainly liked football or basketball the most, especially after coming home from school and playing games like Madden and NBA 2k.
I usually play the right field and enjoy it most because of its close proximity to the foul plate. That means that there’s less pressure on me since most batters hit towards the left. Since my first opportunity to play and practice baseball at school with my teammates and coaches, I actually think I found my calling in life and I love it. I know my grandfather would be happy too. With a Perspective, I’m Alijondro Jacqueson.