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Cam Smith couldn't contain his emotion as his mother walked into the Houston Astros' clubhouse to tell her son he made the team's Opening Day roster.
Astros's manager, Joe Espada, said in a video released by the team Tuesday that the club wanted to make the call-up special.
After he had addressed the team, he called the 22-year-old's mother, Stephanie Hocza, into the facility with family members to deliver the news to a teary-eyed Smith.
It was the crowning moment in a meteoric rise in the professional ranks for the Florida State baseball product who tore up spring training with the Astros and is now the starting right fielder.
Smith hit .342% with four home runs and 11 RBI in 38 at-bats, and he is the third quickest player to reach the majors after playing just 32 minor league games. He was the centerpiece of an offseason trade that sent Kyle Tucker to the Cubs, the team Smith was drafted by 14th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft last July.
In eight months, Smith went from Single-A Myrtle Beach to the starting right fielder at Daikin Park in Houston, playing just 32 minor league games in his brief professional career.
Despite learning a new position and a new team this spring, Smith excelled and left the Astros no choice but to call him up.
Smith called it a blessing in an emotional interview given to local media in Houston.
"I always thought it was possible," Smith told reporters. "I had a great group of guys to help me out to get here today. I always thought it was a possibility for it to happen. And we're here today talking about it now. So I'm very blessed."
News of Smith's promotion broke hours before FSU baseball's dramatic 8-4 win over Florida in Jacksonville on Tuesday.
While Seminoles head coach Link Jarrett was preparing for the game, multiple people sent him the news that Smith was called up.
Jarrett said he was emotional watching the videos of the former FSU stars call-up.
"For me to watch some of those videos, I was emotional in the coaches' locker room... to know how hard that kid worked and fought, for his mom to be in the locker room there when that became an officially roster-achieving moment, it got me," Jarrett told reporters in Jacksonville.
"I watched it a couple of times. Nobody has better character, makeup, or the ability to work correctly... he earned that. I'm so proud that he was in this uniform... that couldn't happen to a better person. From a playing standpoint, he earned it, but the quality of the human being is right there with the quality of the baseball player. Exceptional on every front."
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at [email protected] or on Twitter @__liamrooney
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Houston Astros' Cam Smith earns emotional call-up to major leagues
Continue reading...
Astros's manager, Joe Espada, said in a video released by the team Tuesday that the club wanted to make the call-up special.
After he had addressed the team, he called the 22-year-old's mother, Stephanie Hocza, into the facility with family members to deliver the news to a teary-eyed Smith.
It was the crowning moment in a meteoric rise in the professional ranks for the Florida State baseball product who tore up spring training with the Astros and is now the starting right fielder.
Smith hit .342% with four home runs and 11 RBI in 38 at-bats, and he is the third quickest player to reach the majors after playing just 32 minor league games. He was the centerpiece of an offseason trade that sent Kyle Tucker to the Cubs, the team Smith was drafted by 14th overall in the 2024 MLB Draft last July.
In eight months, Smith went from Single-A Myrtle Beach to the starting right fielder at Daikin Park in Houston, playing just 32 minor league games in his brief professional career.
Despite learning a new position and a new team this spring, Smith excelled and left the Astros no choice but to call him up.
Smith called it a blessing in an emotional interview given to local media in Houston.
"I always thought it was possible," Smith told reporters. "I had a great group of guys to help me out to get here today. I always thought it was a possibility for it to happen. And we're here today talking about it now. So I'm very blessed."
FSU baseball head coach Link Jarrett praises Smith's rise to the MLB
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News of Smith's promotion broke hours before FSU baseball's dramatic 8-4 win over Florida in Jacksonville on Tuesday.
While Seminoles head coach Link Jarrett was preparing for the game, multiple people sent him the news that Smith was called up.
Jarrett said he was emotional watching the videos of the former FSU stars call-up.
"For me to watch some of those videos, I was emotional in the coaches' locker room... to know how hard that kid worked and fought, for his mom to be in the locker room there when that became an officially roster-achieving moment, it got me," Jarrett told reporters in Jacksonville.
"I watched it a couple of times. Nobody has better character, makeup, or the ability to work correctly... he earned that. I'm so proud that he was in this uniform... that couldn't happen to a better person. From a playing standpoint, he earned it, but the quality of the human being is right there with the quality of the baseball player. Exceptional on every front."
Liam Rooney covers Florida State athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at [email protected] or on Twitter @__liamrooney
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Houston Astros' Cam Smith earns emotional call-up to major leagues
Continue reading...
