LOS ANGELES – In the bright lights of Dodger Stadium, where thousands of fans cheer every time he steps onto the field, there is something few people know about Mookie Betts – the star of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Behind his cool demeanor, his amazing hitting and his confident playing style, there is a lingering nostalgia, a promise to the man who can no longer witness his success.
“Play like it’s your last game…”
Those were the last words his grandfather – who was Mookie’s first baseball coach – said before he passed away. For Betts, it was more than just advice. It was an oath.
Many years later, even though he has become an MVP, won the World Series, played in the world’s top stadiums, Mookie still keeps the habit of quietly wearing a small necklace with an old photo of his grandfather inside.
In a 2022 game, after hitting a dream home run, Betts did not celebrate wildly. He just quietly looked up to the sky, raised his arms and whispered something. It was a very short moment, but spectators sitting nearby said they saw him “with tears in his eyes”.
“I’m never alone on the field. I believe my grandfather is still watching, from somewhere above,” Betts once confided in a rare interview.
Maybe that’s why each of his slips did not last long, each time he got up he was stronger. Because Betts played not only for himself, not only for the team, but also for a deceased memory – a person who believed in him when the world did not know that name.
In the quiet locker room after the win, Mookie took off the necklace, placed it over his heart and closed his eyes. No one said anything, because his teammates understood: this was not a normal win. It was a promise kept – again.
And somewhere up there, Mookie’s grandfather must be smiling, proud. Not because his grandson is a star for the Dodgers. But because he’s still the same boy he was – loyal, resilient, and never forgetting the most important thing: his promise to his grandfather.