Pitcher for the LA Dodgers, Brusdar Graterol, was born and nurtured in the harsh dictatorship and abject poverty in Calabozo, Venezuela. There weren't more than 100,000 people living in the town.
However, the 25-year-old never gave up on the dream of taking his mother to see him pitch in the big leagues. It finally occurred on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. Graterol's mother, Ysmalia, saw the Los Angeles Angels' comeback victory over the Detroit Tigers from a suite while her son pitched a spotless eighth inning.
Have a look at this touching and emotional moment.
What a special moment Brusdar Graterol's mother was watching him pitch for the first time as a Major Leaguer, and he points to her after a 1-2-3 inning. - MLBONFOX
The message that Brusdar had for his mother was, "Thank you so much for never letting me fall."
"As we said years ago, we will never surrender"
Brusdar’s message to his mom. 🥹 - dodgers
Brusdar Graterol's baseball career
In August 2014, Graterol joined the Minnesota Twins as an international free agent. In 2015, he made his career debut with the Dominican Summer League Twins. The Twins chose Graterol's contract on September 1, 2019, elevating him to the major leagues.
Graterol pitched for the Dodgers in 34 games in 2021, posting a 3-0 record and a 4.59 ERA. He threw one inning in the Wild Card Game, three and two-thirds innings in the NLDS of 2021, and four and one-third innings in the NLCS of 2021, surrendering just one run on four hits and striking out seven.
Graterol pitched in 46 games in 2022, recording a 2-4 record and 3.26 ERA. In addition, he had four saves. His first save of his professional career came on June 26 against the Braves.
Graterol and the Dodgers reached a one-year, $1.225 million contract on January 13, 2023, avoiding salary arbitration.