South Bend Cubs Gameday Program - August / September 2022

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CAISSIE CORNER

TOP-10 CHICAGO CUBS PROSPECT OWEN CAISSIE HAS ROLLED WITH THE PUNCHES AND SHINED IN 2022

By Max Thoma

The average age of a position player in high-A baseball is between 22-23 years old. Most teenagers in Minor League Baseball aren’t even in low-A, they’re in rookie leagues in Florida, Arizona, or the Dominican Republic.

But this year the first place South Bend Cubs have had three 19-yearolds. The Cubs number 15 prospect Kevin Made joined the team after the All-Star Break and number 21 prospect Yohendrick Pinango has been with the team since opening day. But no teen ager on the team has been as notable as top-10 prospect Owen Caissie.

Last year as a rookie the 6-foot-4 product of Burlington, Canada appeared in just 54 games. O.C. slugged six homers in 32 games, batted .349 with an OPS of 1.074 with the Cubs Arizona Complex League affiliate, and on August 23 he got the promotion to low-A Myrtle Beach.

He didn’t have nearly the same type of success playing in South Carolina, batting .233 with one homer across his final 22 games of the season.

The Cubs number nine prospect, per MLB Pipeline, got his feet wet at a higher level to end the season in 2021, and come 2022 he dove right into another higher

level.

“Getting assigned to South Bend really showed the confidence the Cubs had in what I can do,” Caissie said. “A 19-year-old in South Bend… you know I got humbled a lot for about a whole entire month.”

South Bend Cubs outfielder Owen Caissie walks back to the dugout after an at-bat at Four Winds Field.

Credit: Langston Johnson

As the youngest member of the opening day roster, it was natural to expect there to be some growing pains, however, I don’t think anyone expected such a drastic rise in performance after a particularly unsteady start out of the gate for the former second round pick.

Owen Caissie hit .122 in April. In 49 at-bats he struck out 21 times and both his slugging and on-base percentage were below .200.

With numbers like that you’d expect there to be chatter about swing mechanics and swing alterations, ways to make more consistent contact without losing a prospects power. Well, if you’ve seen Caissie’s swing, that expectation

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would be wrong. The tall and sturdy lefty batter possesses one of the smoothest swings in the organization already and he consistently produces the best exit velocities in the Cubs farm system.

“At the start, mentally I was like what’s wrong with me, and every ball player goes through that time where you’re like ‘Am I actually good enough to play baseball?’” Caissie said. “But nothing physical, my swing didn’t change I would say honestly just my swing deci sions.”

The perpetually confident Caissie wasn’t slowed for long. In May he busted out to the tune of a batting average of .313 and an OPS over .900, with four homers, his first career multi-homer game, and 26 RBIs. In the first few days of June, he was informed he’d been named the Chicago Cubs Minor League Player of the Month for May.

His biggest moment of the month came on Tuesday, May 10 in the series opener vs. in-state rival Fort Wayne. With the Cubs trailing 7-2 in the sixth inning and the bases loaded with one away, O.C. crushed a grand slam to right that catapulted the Cubs to an eventual 9-7 victory, and proved to be a catalyst for a dramatic shift in the quality of play we saw from the teenager. But that wasn’t even his most prominent grand slam of the season.

dramatic comebacks (as of writing this on July 31 the Cubs have 20 comeback wins), none was more captivating than the 8-6 win over Wisconsin at Four Winds Field on July 7.

With the Cubs trailing 6-4, the bases loaded, and two outs in the ninth inning, O.C. stepped up to the plate.

“I honestly, not going to lie, I didn’t know the score,” Caissie candidly said. “I went up there not knowing the score, I didn’t know how many outs there were, he threw me a first pitch fastball strike, and then a slider outside so it was 1-1. I obviously knew we were down, didn’t know how much we were down by but really I just tried to stay up the middle with it. I knew it was gone as soon as I hit it… last swing as a teenager, it was pretty cool.”

A post-game interview tradition at Four Winds Field, Caissie is showered with water and gatorade by Daniel Palencia and his South Bend teammates following a win.

Credit: Langston Johnson

In a season chalked full of late

Just over two hours away from becoming a 20-year-old, the kid from Canada crushed a grand slam that sent the home crowd into raptures. The Cubs poured out of the dugout and sprinted to meet Caissie at the plate

and dump the Gatorade cooler on him. That was undoubtedly the greatest moment of the Cubs season so far. The even-keeled, methodical, and technical Cubs prospect will forever have that moment and anyone at Four Winds Field that night will remember the moment Owen Caissie sent the ballpark into a frenzy.

Caissie has grown a lot in his short time so far in the Chicago Cubs organi

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zation, and you have to remember he wasn’t always a part of this system. He’s only two years removed from finding out while in his back yard at home during the pandemic that he’d been drafted 45th overall by the San Diego Padres.

As a kid O.C. didn’t think his talent was that special, he just worked extremely hard to further develop the talent he possessed. But come age 14/15

Cubs.

“I was hitting and my agent texted me that I was probably getting traded,” Caissie said. “I didn’t really think much of it, and then my phone started blowing up. I went back into the cage to hit and I felt almost like I was on a cloud, it was a surreal feeling, like it wasn’t really happening.”

Most headlines that day read some thing like “Yu Darvish traded to Padres”, and that’s why it didn’t feel real for Caissie. He was a key cog in a deal that sent a four-time All-Star and the runner up in the NL Cy Young vote, to San Diego. In all, four prospects and Zach Davies went to the Cubs in return for Darvish and Victor Caratini. Now, the majority of the way through his second season, Caissie is a much different player than he was when the Cubs initially dealt for him.

The tall outfielder Caissie rounds first base on a base hit smacked towards right field.

Credit: Langston Johnson

he began to think about college ball, a couple years later he thought about professional baseball for the first time, and at age 18 in 2020 those thoughts turned into reality.

However, he’d never play an official game in the Padres farm system. The 2020 minor league season was cancelled and well after the MLB season ended, right before New Year’s on December 29, Owen Caissie was traded to the Chicago

Caissie warms up in right field for an inning and plays catch with the South Bend Cubs bullpen.

Credit: Ed McGregor

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“The biggest change this year has been my mindset,” he said. “At the end of batting practice we do these things called “game winners” and I rolled over three straight today. I’d say at the start of the season and last season I’d be down on myself but now I realize that’s three swings out of how many?... I’m at a point in my career where there’s always going to be another game.”

It’s been a learning process in 2022 for the young outfielder, but with a positive mindset, a grinders work ethic, and tremendous intelligence, Caissie continues to improve and look more comfortable at the dish.

Aaron Judge’s spinal angle through his swing, Barry Bonds’ hip rotation, Charlie Blackmon’s still head, and he emulated these small details that made players great. In high school he broke down players swings on an app and it’s likely that in due time young ballplayers will be trying to emulate Caissie’s smooth stroke.

As for what’s left this season in 2022, well, I’ll let Owen tell you what he’s thinking about the rest of the way.

“I want to make it to the playoffs and win a ring in South Bend. I want to do the best that I can and if I can do that it’s going to help the team,” he said.

The Latin players in South Bend like to call him “rojo” for his red hair, most of the coaches simply call him “O.C.”, and Buddy Bailey gave him his favorite nickname, “cornbread” back in 2021. Whatever you want to call him, Owen Caissie is a methodical grinder, a kid who’s going to outwork you and then outperform you.

There are still a few steps to go and it certainly is a process climbing the ladder, but Caissie’s journey to Wrigley Field feels inevitable, you just have to appre ciate the climb.

Caissie didn’t grow up with a favorite player, he just loved the game and watching great players hit. As a teenager he picked up on nuances like

Caissie prepares for a pitch being offered as he stands in from the left side in the batter's box.

Credit: Kayleigh Sedlacek

The South Bend Cubs outfield (L-R) Owen Caissie, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Yohendrick Pinango.

Credit: Tom Lemming

ALI, ALIENDO

PABLO ALIENDO HAS THE SWAGGER AND THE HUMBLENESS TO ACHIEVE BIG THINGS AT WRIGLEY FIELD

By: Brendan King

For South Bend Cubs catcher Pablo Aliendo, it’s about family first. Family to Aliendo can mean a lot of things. Of course, it’s his heritage to his country and loved ones in Venezuela. But the love for others stretches far more than that. Spend 15 minutes talking with the young 21-year-old highly touted prospect of the Chicago Cubs. It won’t be very long before you leave feeling like you’re connected with him. That’s what he continues to leave a strong impression

Aliendo shares a smile with the South Bend Cubs dugout as he gets ready to work behind the plate.

Credit: Langston Johnson

on those he comes across everyday. Some people just look and act older than they really are. If you watch Aliendo on daily basis, you’ll be left asking yourself how he can be so young. In

the way he plays behind the plate, and leads on and off the field. Usually caught with a smile, Aliendo knows how to treat people right.

Earlier this season as the Cubs took on the Beloit Sky Carp in Wisconsin, Aliendo was getting set to warm up Daniel Palencia before a game. As Palencia got stretched out in preparation for his pre-game workout, Aliendo was seen smiling ear-to-ear and playing catch with some young fans who were hanging over the guard rail.

Five minutes later, Aliendo was playing long toss as Palencia completes his warmup with throwing the ball from the right field corner to the left field corner. Aliendo understands the little moments, because at one point he was the one on the other side of that.

Aliendo’s rise into the Cubs organiza tion as a catcher has certainly been quick since signing as a teenager back in 2016 for $200,000. The growth in the game has been a constant process since he was three-years-old. Along with the support of his mom, who helped tell this story, Aliendo’s first love was basketball. Through little league games, plus a love for watching big league catchers

Pablo Aliendo catches for Richard Gallardo on 'Mar vel Superhero Day' at Four Winds Field in a game aired on Marquee Sports Network.

Credit: Langston Johnson

BEER•WINE SANGRIA

like Salvador Perez and Yadier Molina, he adopted life on the diamond as what he loved most. Things work a bit different in Venezuela though. In a conversation with his family when he was only 12, Aliendo had to decide what his future would feature.

“I was sitting in the dugout with my mom and she asked if I wanted to play base ball as a professional in three or four years and I said yes,” Aliendo said. “I use that as motivation still because she said I need to eat and sleep baseball. I told her one day I promise.”

The difference back then? Aliendo origi nally was an outfielder before he decided to go the route of making his home behind the plate. Just because he isn’t an outfielder anymore doesn’t mean he doesn’t have the aspirations to be a versatile player. If you arrive to Four Winds Field on any gameday when the Cubs are taking batting practice, you’ll usually spot Aliendo all over the diamond.

that he’ll do everything in his power to find his way to Wrigley Field.

“You never know what is going to happen in a game,” Aliendo said. “I like it all. I don’t know why, but I feel really good in the infield. I want to play anywhere. Outfield, third base, catcher, pitcher, I don’t care. I want to be at the highest level.”

Aliendo walks up to the plate for an at-bat at Four Winds Field.

Credit: Langston Johnson

His catcher’s gear does not go on at any point during BP. After Aliendo hits, he’ll go and take ground balls from bench coach D’Angelo Jimenez at third base, shortstop, second base, you name it. He’s there. It’s all part of maturing as a baseball player. All of those reps in the infield actually played to Aliendo’s favor last year. With the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Buddy Bailey used him at both third base and second base once.

Aliendo may be young, but he says

When you look at the history, it’s not surprising that Aliendo has worked all the way from the outfield to between the batter’s boxes. The man that helped scout, sign, and develop Aliendo to the Chicago Cubs organi zation has had a track record of good things in Venezuela. His name is Hector Ortega, a scouting supervisor for the Cubs in the South American region, specif ically Venezuela. Way back about a decade ago, Ortega identified a guy by the name of Willson Contreras as a target for Chicago. Of course then, Contreras was originally an infielder. You can say that Ortega has got a thing or two for finding athletes who simply belong behind the dish. Contreras developed and turned into a Chicago Cubs mainstay for a long time.

By the way, Ortega also scouted and signed a fella named Gleyber Torres. Not too shabby. Aliendo is trying to be the next big name that Ortega can put on his resume.

So with all of that, the question that probably comes up is what makes Pablo

Photo Credit: Kayleigh Sedlacek

Aliendo different? Can he be better than these Herculean names? That’s to be determined. One thing that Aliendo already has though is the right attitude.

“I want to be a Big League catcher because they are leaders,” Aliendo said. “I need to work hard everyday in the gym, on the field, in the clubhouse, all while being a good teammate. They tell me to try and have fun everyday.”

The ultimate teammate, Aliendo combines the right amount of both swagger and humbleness that is needed to become a strong professional. When you see him go out to the mound to talk with his pitcher, those trips usually feature plenty of positive body language.

“Sometimes a pitcher will give up four of five hits and I call timeout to reassure them,” Aliendo said. “I’ll go out there and say check the score. You’re winning. I’ll

say are you hungry? And if they say yes then I say me too. Let’s finish this and go eat. That’s me.

At the plate, Aliendo has put together plenty of Marquee moments this season; Specifically on Marquee Sports Network. When South Bend plays on the television home of the Chicago Cubs, Aliendo’s game seems to turn up a notch.

On June 23 against the Peoria Chiefs, Aliendo clubbed a walk-off home run on live television to propel the Cubs to a victory. For those watching Marquee that night, it shouldn’t have taken much time to realize the amount of passion that Pablo steps onto the field with.

By the time the ball landed towards the back end of the Home Run Porch in left field, Aliendo was just rounding first base. He shuffled around second, got the high-five from manager Lance Rymel at third, and before he jumped into the mosh pit of South Bend Cubs teammates, ripped a step back jump shot with his helmet, and then was piled on. It was one of the most electric moments ever at Four Winds Field, and it was history making for Aliendo’s career.

“That was my first walk-off ever,” Aliendo said. “That day I had three strikeouts. (Jonathan) Sierra got inten tionally walked ahead of me. I was a bit nervous, but that’s normal. I knew I needed a base hit. I got two breaking balls for strikes, then a ball. I said ‘okay Pablo’, let’s go. I got another slider. And I knew it. It was amazing.”

Aliendo embraces teammate Jake Washer in the dugout as the team celebrates in their 'Los Cabritos Maldichos' jerseys.

... continued from previous page. The competitor in Aliendo leaves everything on the field. But as we mentioned, the heart of the Cubs catcher is constantly growing. Earlier in the year, Aliendo was one of four South Bend Cubs to visit Beacon Children’s Hospital for a meet-and-greet with patients currently receiving care. Aliendo, along with Sierra, Fabian Pertuz, and Yeison Santana cast a rainbow of smiles all across that hospital that day.

When you take a look at the Chicago Cubs organization, and their catching depth in particular, two names come to mind in the Minor Leagues most of all. Number one, of course, Miguel Amaya. The 2018 South Bend Cubs catcher has fought back from Tommy John Surgery and is doing great things at Double-A Tennessee again. The second name that usually follows is Aliendo.

Look at who the Cubs have for Amaya and Aliendo to learn from at the Big League level as well. Willson Contreras absolutely stands out as one of the greatest catchers in the game of baseball today. But to also have a veteran who has been through so many years in the game like Yan Gomes, plus someone like P.J. Higgins, the former South Bend Cub who has manufactured his way to the Big Leagues with heart and determina tion, that can provide such a consistent learning cycles for the young guys who will be on their way up next. The three Big League catchers aren't just helping Amaya and Aliendo at Spring Training

either. With the kind of video enhance ments that are in the game today, they can watch film in the clubhouse and then practice those same skills on the same day.

Currently a top-30 Cubs prospect, the potential on Aliendo from both behind the plate and in the right-handed batters’ box is intriguing. He’s young, strong, funny, charismatic, and confident. That usually is a pretty strong recipe for a city like Chicago.

(L-R) Pablo Aliendo, Jonathan Sierra, Yeison Santana, and Fabian Pertuz make a visit to Beacon Chiildren's Hospital in Downtown South Bend.

Photo Credit: South Bend Cubs

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“You don’t have to worry about not feeling appreciated. Everybody communicates and gets along. We are like family, and everybody cares about each other.

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2022 SOUTH BEND CUBS COACHING STAFF

Lance Rymel - Manager

Rymel is in his first season as manager for South Bend Cubs after guiding the Rookie League Mesa Cubs in 2021. Rymel also managed the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League in 2021 and won the league title. This will be his seventh season as a coach or manager in the Cubs organization, where he also managed Single-A Eugene in 2019 following two seasons at the helm of the Cubs Dominican Summer League squad in 2017-18. He began his coaching career in 2016 following a three-year minor league playing career as a catcher.

Tony Cougoule - Pitching Coach

Cougoule is back for year two as the team’s pitching coach. Cougoule enters his third year with the Chicago Cubs altogether. Previously, he coached in the same role at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA from 2010-2019, South eastern Community College from 2008-2009, and Azusa Pacific University from 2006-2007. Cougoule played collegiate baseball at Mount Mercy in Cedar Rap ids, IA, earning team MVP and all-conference honors in 2003 & completed his master’s degree in physical education from Azusa Pacific University in 2007.

Dan Puente - Hitting Coach

Puente is in his first season as the South Bend hitting coach. This marks Puente’s third season in the Cubs farm system; he was the hitting coach for low-A Myrtle Beach in 2021. Puente has been a hitting and catching instructor at Elite Baseball Training since 2012, a technology-infused baseball and softball instructional company created by the Cubs Director of Hitting Justin Stone. Pu ente also served as an associate scout for the Houston Astros and from 200812 was the Manager of Youth Baseball Initiatives for the Chicago White Sox.

D’Angelo Jiménez - Bench Coach

Jiménez is on the South Bend Cubs staff for the first time in his career and handles the bench coach duties. Lance Rymel coaches third base and Jiménez coaches first. He held the role of hitting coach for the DSL Cubs in 2021 and this will be his fifth season overall in the organization. Jiménez rose through the New York Yankees minor league system and spent eight years playing in the MLB from 1999 to 2007 with the Yankees, Padres, White Sox, Reds, Rangers, Athletics, and Nationals. He hit 36 Big League home runs and totaled 228 RBI.

Seth Clapp Athletic Trainer

Dominick

Patry-Tremblay

Strength and Conditioning Coach

Field Box

Box

Home Run Porch

Deck

- Friday (non game days)

- Sunday (non game days)

Monday - Friday (game days)

Saturday (game days)

Sunday (game days)

More than a Mentor

SOUTH BEND CUBS BENCH COACH D’ANGELO JIMENEZ HAS LIVED A COMPLETE BASEBALL LIFE

By: Brendan King

All good things eventually must come to an end. But usually when those bright and happy days finish, another door will open. Sometimes, those new experiences offer individuals the opportunity to continue doing what they love, but maybe in a slightly different way. For South Bend Cubs Bench Coach, D’Angelo Jimenez, the game of baseball hasn’t just offered career, it has presented him with a lifestyle.

Once scouted and ranked as the top pros pect for the New York Yankees, Jimenez had a better run for most at the highest level a player can achieve. An eight-year veteran of Major League Baseball, the native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic is now on the coaching side with the Chicago Cubs organi zation.

On the staff in South Bend, this is his first year with an affiliate in the United States. Jimenez spent multiple years mentoring the Cubs young international prospects in the Dominican Summer League.

“When I retired Manny Acta was the Manager of the Nationals and he asked me when I would be interested in the coaching side.” Jimenez said. “He told me that I had

South Bend Cubs Bench Coach D'Angelo Jimenez coaches first base at Four Winds Field. Credit: Langston Johnson

a good feel for the game and communication with the players. So after that, the opportunity to sign with the Cubs was perfect because my family was in the Dominican Republic and I was there for four years.”

Rookie baseball in the Dominican Republic is much different than

the Midwest League. It is purely baseball. No between inning contests, ceremonial first pitches, nothing. Just pure ball. That’s where a young player can really grind their teeth. And many former great international South Bend Cubs players passed through the DSL. The likes of Eloy Jimenez, Christopher Morel, Miguel Amaya, Brailyn Marquez, and more all passed through the Cubs complex there.

“I remember when I was young and a big top prospect for a good and first-class orga nization,” Jimenez said. “I know how to talk to the young guys and how to behave in the game in being a professional. The biggest thing for the 19 and 20-year-olds is getting their mind set. I’m grateful to be here to pass along that guidance for each day, at-bat, and game.”

Teaching the next generation is what Jimenez is passionate about. Known by the players and staff as “DJ”, he provides an in-depth knowledge of the game with a ‘cool cat’ type of mentality. Also acting as South Bend’s first base coach, DJ never looks flus tered. It’s always the same calm and collected approach. At first base, the players have their own celebrations with him after a hit, such as Pablo Aliendo’s freeze frame picture routine.

Though he’s now known to the much younger guys as a coach, it wasn’t very long ago that Jimenez was in their shoes. His last year in the Big Leagues was with Washington in 2007, and that was a rebound year. He played over 70 MLB games for the sixth time, and hit .245 with the Nationals.

The thing about his career, however, the highs and lows. That’s not necessarily from only a baseball sense either. Jimenez nearly had the game ripped away from him forever. That situation would not arise until very later into his prospect days. At first, things could not have been better.

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic is the largest city in the DR. With a population touching two million, it is a metropolis and hot bed for all kinds of interests and hobbies. Of course, one of the most popular features? Baseball. The Dominican Professional Baseball League has housed countless big MLB names following their prime years. One team in particular, Tigres Del Licey, was once managed by the great Tommy La Sorda on their way to a Caribbean League title. Following his Big League career, Jimenez spent some time playing for them. It was a career that came full circle after he grew up right around ‘Estadio Quisqueya’, their home stadium.

The hotbed of Santo Domingo is also known for its rich cuisine and delicious food. Jimenez, a noted fan of cooking, can be seen on his Instagram all the time putting together top notch meals for South Bend players and coaches on off-days.

So, how does Jimenez end up finding the New York Yankees from Santo Domingo?

The truth is. The Yankees found him.

“After having a tryout with the Yankees it made sense to sign their because my mother was in New Jersey at the time,” Jimenez said. “It was exciting to be able to sign with an organization like that.”

Cubs Catcher Pablo Aliendo celebrates with Jimenez after a base hit with his signa ture camera pose. Credit: Kayleigh Sedlacek

So the deal was done, the ink was drying on paper, and Jimenez was a Yankee. 1995 was the first year he would don the pinstripes are Spring Training in Tampa, Florida; The same year that Derek Jeter would make his Big League debut. The two young infielders, Jimenez and Jeter, were connected from the start. They just didn’t know it yet.

Jimenez would hit .280 in his first year of short-season baseball. That immediately propelled him up the Yankees top prospect ranks.

Eventually, the year was 1999. Jimenez, now 21-years-old, had read reports of another new talented Dominican Republic prospect being inked by the Yankees. A slender and skinny infielder named Alfonso Soriano.

Soriano, the future perennial all-star player, joined Jimenez as the top two pros pects in the New York organization. At the start of 1999, Jimenez as number-one.

... continued from previous page.

Depending on the player, pressure can start to set in at the point. But it all varies on how you can handle it.

“For me there was no pressure,” Jimenez said. “I knew what I could do and what happened the previous years in the Minor Leagues. Getting to play for such a good organization gave me the confidence that I needed.”

That confidence did DJ well. In an American League East clash north of the border in Toronto, Jimenez was called up from AAA to make his Big League debut on September 15, 1999.

Slated at third base, and playing next to The Captain. A left side of the Yankee infield featuring Jimenez and Jeter. It was set in stone from the start, and he did it. That same night, Jimenez picked up his initial Major League hit against Pat Hentgen, 1993 World Series Champ and three-time All-Star. Not too shabby.

The first of 568 gave way to many more in the next game he played. In just his second ever taste of Big League action, Jimenez clob bered four hits and two RBI against Cleveland at Jacobs Field. In each of those first two MLB games, Jimenez batted eighth in front of catcher Joe Girardi, with the lineup also featuring Jeter, Paul O’Neill, Bernie Williams, Tino Martinez, and more. Mariano Rivera also picked up the save in both contests.

It couldn’t have been going better for DJ. A number-one prospect getting the September call-up to Yankee Stadium, finishing the year in the Big Leagues, and getting a front row seat to New York’s 1999 World Series Championship over the Atlanta Braves.

The next off-season came as they always did for Jimenez. Back to the Dominican for some rest, relaxations and training. What happened, however, on January 24, 2000, would change the complexion of his life.

Jimenez was involved in a highway car crash on that January night near Santo Domingo. His car was totaled, he was left

injured, and his career immediately was at jeopardy. Jimenez was supposed to play for the Yankees in 2000. And it never occurred. DJ had to miss the entire 2000 season as he rehabilitated his body from serious injuries suffered from the crash. But most impor tantly, he was alive.

“It was a second chance on life,” Jimenez said. “I had to learn how to walk again, use my hands, everything. I was blessed to be okay, and to be able to play again.”

That’s exactly what happened. Jimenez courageously fought back from any and all injuries to return to the Big Leagues in 2001 with the San Diego Padres. He would go on to play with the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers, Oakland Athletics, and the Nationals. DJ even got a taste of playoff baseball for the first time with Oakland in 2006.

None of that could have been possible without his constant smile, positive atti tude, and commitment to the game. Now, DJ continues to offer those same guidance points that he stuck to in order to work back from a place that barely anyone can relate to.

He’s helping the next generation. When he sees a top prospect that is destined for Big League success, he knows it. After all, it takes one to know one.

Jimenez as the New York Yankees Top Prospect in 1999 posing for a photo donning the Yankees white pinstripe uniforms.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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