Didi Gregorius facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Didi Gregorius |
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Gregorius with the New York Yankees in 2017
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| Algodoneros de Unión Laguna – No. 18 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Shortstop | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: February 18, 1990 Amsterdam, Netherlands |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||||||||
| September 5, 2012, for the Cincinnati Reds | ||||||||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through 2022 season) |
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| Batting average | .257 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Hits | 999 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 134 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 530 | |||||||||||||||||||
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Mariekson Julius "Didi" Gregorius, born on February 18, 1990, is a professional baseball player from Curaçao and the Netherlands. He plays as a shortstop for the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna in the Mexican League. Didi also played for several teams in Major League Baseball (MLB), including the Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees, and Philadelphia Phillies.
Didi was born in Amsterdam. His father, Johannes Gregorius Sr., was also a professional baseball player. When Didi was five, his family moved to Curaçao. There, he started playing tee-ball and youth baseball. Baseball scouts noticed Didi when he was a teenager. He signed with the Reds in 2007.
Didi's journey through the Reds' minor league teams faced a challenge in 2011. A kidney problem made him miss two months. But he still made his major league debut in September 2012. After the 2012 season, the Reds traded Didi to the Arizona Diamondbacks. He played there for two years.
In December 2014, the New York Yankees traded for Didi. They needed a shortstop after Derek Jeter retired. Didi played for the Yankees for five seasons. He became a much better hitter with them. In 2017, he hit more home runs than Derek Jeter ever did in a single season for the Yankees. He hit 20 or more home runs for three years in a row. In 2019, Didi had surgery on his elbow. Even after coming back, he hit a big grand slam in the playoffs. This helped the Yankees reach the championship series.
After the 2019 season, Didi became a free agent. The Philadelphia Phillies signed him. His first two seasons with the Phillies were tough. He faced the COVID-19 pandemic, travel problems, and health issues. In 2021, his batting average was the lowest of his career.
Besides playing in MLB, Didi has played for the Dutch national baseball team. He played in the Baseball World Cup and the World Baseball Classic. In the 2011 Baseball World Cup, his team won the gold medal. They beat Cuba. After this win, Didi and his teammates were given honorary knighthood.
Contents
Family and Early Life
Didi Gregorius was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on February 18, 1990. His father, Johannes Gregorius Sr., was a carpenter and a pitcher for the Amsterdam Pirates. This was a professional baseball team in the Netherlands. Didi's mother, Sheritsa Stroop, played for the Netherlands women's national softball team. His grandfather, Antonio, also played baseball.
In 1995, Didi's family moved from Amsterdam to Curaçao. They moved because of his father's baseball career. Didi started playing tee-ball and Little League Baseball in the Netherlands, just like his older brother, Johannes Jr. When he wasn't playing sports, Didi enjoyed drawing. He also played soccer and basketball as a child, but baseball was always his favorite.
Professional Baseball Career
Cincinnati Reds
Starting in the Minor Leagues
A baseball scout for the Cincinnati Reds, Jim Stoeckel, saw Didi play in 2006. Didi was playing for the Dutch Antilles in a tournament. Two years later, the Reds signed Didi as an international free agent. He received a $50,000 bonus. Other teams like the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres were also interested. But Didi chose the Reds because they offered him a chance to play in the United States.
Didi started his professional career in 2008 with the Gulf Coast Reds. This was a Rookie League team. His first year was not great, with a low batting average. He also made some errors.
In 2009, Didi mostly played for the Billings Mustangs. He batted .314 in 50 games. He also played a few games for the Sarasota Reds. The next year, Didi played for the Dayton Dragons. The Reds noticed his strong arm and his speed. He hit 11 triples and stole 16 bases. He also hit .273 with five home runs. After the regular season, Didi played in Australia for the Canberra Cavalry. He was named the Defensive Player of the Year there.
In 2011, doctors found that Didi had a kidney problem. He had to stop playing baseball for two months. He also had to change his diet and take medicine. After recovering, he returned to play for the Bakersfield Blaze and then the Carolina Mudcats. He batted .289 that season, with seven home runs. In November, the Reds added Didi to their main roster. This protected him from being picked by other teams.
Didi started the 2012 season as a top player for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He played well enough to be named an All-Star. After 81 games, the Reds moved him up to the Triple–A Louisville Bats.
Playing in Major League Baseball
Didi made his major league debut on September 5, 2012, with the Cincinnati Reds. He started at shortstop in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies. He played in eight games that season and batted .300. After the season, Didi played in the Arizona Fall League. He helped his team win a championship there.
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Reds had another good shortstop, Zack Cozart. This made Didi a player other teams wanted to trade for. On December 11, 2012, Didi was part of a big trade. He was first sent to the Cleveland Indians, but then traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Didi hurt his elbow later that month. He could not throw until spring training started. The Diamondbacks planned for him to start in the minor leagues. But when another player got hurt, Didi was called up to play second base. In his very first at-bat for the Diamondbacks on April 18, 2013, Didi hit his first major league home run! It was on the first pitch he saw.
On April 27, Didi was hit by a pitch in the head. He had to leave the game and was put on the concussion list for a week. He batted .252 in 103 games that year.
In 2014, Didi competed for the starting shortstop job. He ended up starting the season in the minor leagues. But in June, he was called back up when another player got hurt. Didi played in 80 major league games in 2014. He batted .226 with six home runs.
New York Yankees
Derek Jeter, the famous shortstop for the New York Yankees, retired in 2014. The Yankees needed a new shortstop. They decided to get Didi Gregorius. On December 5, 2014, the Yankees got Didi in a trade with Arizona and the Detroit Tigers.
2015–2016 Seasons
Didi became the Yankees' starting shortstop on opening day. He said he wasn't worried about replacing Jeter. He just focused on playing his best. He had a slow start in 2015, making some errors and batting low. But he improved a lot by June. On August 28, Didi had a great game. He got four hits, one home run, and six RBIs. In his first year with the Yankees, Didi played 155 games. He batted .265 with nine home runs and 56 RBIs.
In 2016, Didi had an even better year. He hit 20 home runs and 70 RBIs. He worked with a hitting coach from Curaçao, Hensley Meulens. They focused on improving Didi's hitting against left-handed pitchers. On June 29, Didi hit his first walk-off home run. This was a home run that won the game for the Yankees in the last inning.
2017 Season
Before the 2017 season, Didi hurt his shoulder while playing in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. He had to miss the start of the season. He began playing again on April 28. When he returned, Didi felt strong at the plate. He had a hitting streak in July. He also hit home runs in three games in a row. On September 4, 2017, Didi hit his 20th home run. This made him the first Yankees shortstop to hit 20 or more home runs in two seasons in a row. Later that month, he hit his 25th home run. This broke Derek Jeter's record for most home runs by a Yankees shortstop in one season. Didi batted .287 for the season.
In the playoffs, Didi hit a game-tying home run against the Minnesota Twins. This helped the Yankees win and move on. In another playoff game, Didi hit two home runs against a top pitcher, Corey Kluber. The Yankees won and moved to the championship series.
2018 Season
Didi started the 2018 season with a huge game. He had eight RBIs in the Yankees' home opener. In April, Didi led the league with 10 home runs and 30 RBIs. He was named Player of the Week and Player of the Month. He had a small slump in May and June. But he broke out of it with two home runs in one game. Didi batted .268 for the season, with 27 home runs. His home runs helped the Yankees break the MLB record for most home runs by a team in a single season.
On September 23, 2018, Didi helped the Yankees get into the playoffs. But he hurt his wrist sliding home. He got a shot and played in the last game of the season. The Yankees won their first playoff game. But they lost the next series to the Red Sox.
2019 Season
Didi had an elbow injury that needed surgery after the 2018 season. He missed the start of the 2019 season while recovering. He came back on June 7, 2019. On July 23, Didi had a perfect game at the plate. He got five hits and seven RBIs. He also hit his 100th career home run in that game. He finished the season batting .238 with 16 home runs.
In the playoffs, Didi hit the first ever postseason grand slam by a Yankees shortstop. This helped the Yankees advance. But they lost in the championship series. After the season, the Yankees did not offer Didi a new contract, and he became a free agent.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies signed Didi to a one-year contract on December 16, 2019. The 2020 MLB season was shorter because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Didi chose to play and wore a face mask on the field. He was a strong hitter for the Phillies that season. He was third among all shortstops in RBIs and fifth in home runs.
The Phillies signed Didi again for two more years in 2021. Due to the pandemic, Didi had some visa issues and was late to spring training. He was still named the Phillies' starting shortstop. In April, Didi hurt his elbow. He missed some games because of swelling. He later found out he had a health condition. He returned to play on July 2. Didi had a tough season in 2021, batting only .209. He was released by the Phillies on August 4, 2022.
Later Career
On May 1, 2023, Didi signed with the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna in Mexico. He played 26 games there, hitting very well with 11 home runs.
On June 8, 2023, Didi signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners. He played 25 games for their Triple-A team. He then became a free agent again on August 2.
In October 2023, Didi was picked to play for the Dubai Wolves in a new league called Baseball United. He played in their all-star event in November.
On April 7, 2024, Didi signed with the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna again. In 75 games, he hit .262 with seven home runs and 43 RBIs.
International Baseball Career
Didi first played for the Dutch national baseball team in the 2009 Baseball World Cup. In the 2011 Baseball World Cup, the Netherlands beat Cuba to win the gold medal. After this big win, Didi and his teammates were given honorary knighthood. Because of this, Didi's official title is "Sir." He even uses "Sir" in his social media name!
Didi was supposed to play in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. But he hurt his elbow and could not play. He did play in the 2017 tournament. He was a great hitter, batting .348 with one home run and eight RBIs. He helped the Dutch team reach the semifinals. But he had to leave early because of a shoulder injury. He also played for the Netherlands in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and the 2024 WBSC Premier12. In the 2024 tournament, he was named the best shortstop on the "All-World Team."
Didi was also part of the Curaçao Suns team. They played in the 2024 Caribbean Series in Miami.
Personal Life
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Didi got his nickname "Didi" in 2009. His American teammates had trouble saying his first name, Mariekson. His father and brother also use the nickname "Didi." Like many people from Curaçao, Didi can speak four languages: English, Spanish, Dutch, and Papiamento.
In his free time, Didi enjoys photography. He also started learning tattooing when the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the 2020 MLB season.
When he played for the Yankees, Didi started a fun tradition. After every win, he would post "victory tweets" with the hashtag "#startspreadingthenews." He would also use special emojis for each of his teammates. He continued this tradition when he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies, saying he would have new emojis for his new teammates.
See also
In Spanish: Didi Gregorius para niños
