Legends Rising: The Brockton Rox have a unique slice of baseball history

Three baseball legends, a World Series Champion, and an elite power hitter have a new pride & joy on the baseball field: their kids. PIC: Joon Lee, ESPN

There is nothing quite like a wood bat league. I remember vividly going to Veterans Field once a summer on Cape Cod to catch a Chatham A’s game (now the Chatham Anglers). The smell of the popcorn, the fresh cut grass, and playing Pickle behind the outfield fence with my childhood friends.

This year, summer college ball boasts a piece of baseball history that could turn out to be drastic, depending on how the dominos fall.

The Brockton Rox, members of the eight-team Futures Collegiate Baseball League, have never had a future quite this bright. This year, their roster includes names like Manny Ramirez, Jr.; D’Angelo Ortiz, and Pedro Martinez, Jr.

Yep, those are all the sons of the baseball legends. Manny, Papi, and Pedro.

Kade Foulke - the son of former Red Sox reliever Keith Foulke - and Jaden Sheffield - Gary Sheffield’s son - also have suited up for the Rox this summer.

I am admittedly not the first to rush to a Red Sox story. I grew up hating the Syracuse Orange, the Duke Blue Devils, and the Boston Red Sox…anything else was at my own discretion, but these rivalries had deep familial ties that couldn’t be broken. I despised Manny for his attitude, was frustrated with Ortiz’s status as the “all-time Yankee killer,” and will never forgive Pedro for throwing Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer down in a brawl. But…how cool is this? Regardless of your fandom, you have to appreciate that three of arguably the top ten players to ever suit up for a franchise end up with their kids all on the same team; it’s the ultimate Dad flex.

It’s also important to know that while each of these players have high ambitions in baseball, they aren’t attempting to replicate their dad’s careers.

“We’re not trying to be our dads,” D’Angelo Ortiz told the media. “We’re all individually so proud to come from who we come from, and we’re just trying to keep that going.”

And Pedro Martinez, Jr. echoed the sentiment. “To be able to play with each other and not watching our dads playing, we are trying to make a name for ourselves.”

This is an awesome baseball moment, and I’m excited to see where it takes each of these five guys.