New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger was named the Most Valuable Player of the MLB All-Star Game after the American League's 4-0 victory on Tuesday night.
Bellinger delivered a two-run single off Cristopher Sanchez in the first inning to open the scoring. His father, former Yankee Clay Bellinger, watched from the back of the room and expressed pride. “Just being able to hang out and watching him win an award, it’s pretty cool,” Clay said.
Cody re-signed with the Yankees last winter on a five-year, $162.5 million deal. He was hitting .280 through mid-June before a slump dropped his average to .254 heading into the break. He hasn't homered in a month.
“Baseball is the craziest game in the world. It really is. Sometimes it’s unexplainable,” he said. “Going into the break, I actually was feeling pretty good. I felt like I was on the right track.”
Clay Bellinger played for the Yankees from 1999 to 2001, winning two World Series titles. Cody was five when his father won his second title. Clay never imagined Cody would become such a player. “I knew he was good, but not this good,” Clay said.
Cody became the fourth Yankee to win All-Star Game MVP after Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, and Giancarlo Stanton. “Wearing this jersey – I feel proud wearing it,” he said. “It comes with a lot.”
Bellinger, who turned 31 on Monday, was a fourth-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013. He made the All-Star team in 2017 and was voted NL Rookie of the Year. He hit 47 homers in 2019 and was voted NL MVP.
However, he followed with three straight subpar seasons, missing time due to injuries. He was cut after the 2022 season and signed a one-year, $17.5 million deal with the Cubs. After a strong season, he signed an $80 million, three-year contract with the Cubs but was later traded to the Yankees after an injury-slowed year.
He tested free agency and chose to stay in pinstripes. “He loves it there,” Clay said. “He loves the teammates, loves the city, loves playing in Yankee Stadium. So, it was kind of a no-brainer.”
Daughters Caiden and Cy joined Cody on the field with his wife Chase after he received the award from Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt. “You always hope for your kids to do well, whether or not it’s playing baseball or doing whatever they like to do,” Clay said. “He’s been pretty good at it for quite a long time.”
Source: www.aljazeera.com