HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — A baseball lifer, Joe Espada admits Thursday’s trip to the ballpark was different than any other he’s made.
“My first one as a manager, it means more,” Joe Espada, the first-year Astros manager, told reporters before his team’s season opener against the Yankees. “Emotional roller coaster, but I’m ready. I’ve been waiting for this day for a very long time.”
What else made Opening Day 2024 special is that Espada’s family attended the game at Minute Maid Park – a rarity.
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Espada’s mother, Miriam, and father, Loly, were on hand to see their son’s debut as ‘Stros skipper. Joe’s niece Valerie even made signs showing her pride for Joe.
“We’ve looked forward to this moment for so many years,” Miriam Espada told ABC13 Thursday. “He’s 48, and we are happy that he did it. He finally did it. We are very proud of him.”
“It was great waving at them,” Joe Espada said after the opener, a 5-4 Astros loss. “I saw my pops – that was a big moment. Now, I’m going to hang out with my mom, and she’s probably going to second-guess every move I made, but I love her, and I love her for that reason.”
Even after all these years, Miriam Espada said she still gets incredibly nervous during her son’s games. She will leave her seat and walk to the concourse with her eyes down and ears plugged so as not to find out what’s happening in the game.
So nervous, so proud.
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