Catcher gets his World Series ring; now he wants to get one for Cleveland.
ARLINGTON, Texas — Baseball works in mysterious ways.
When Guardians catcher Austin Hedges opened last season with the eternally rebuilding Pirates, a World Series ring was the last thing on his mind.
His thoughts changed when the Pirates sent him to the talented and big-market Texas Rangers on Aug. 2. Ups and downs followed, but the wild-card Rangers did win the World Series, beating Arizona in five games.
Hedges and outfielder Robbie Grossman, who recently rejoined Texas in a trade with the White Sox, received their World Series rings from manager Bruce Bochy and GM Chris Young at home plate before Monday’s series opener at Globe Life Field.
A video of each player was shown during the ceremony. The message “Thank You Austin” appeared on the scorecard.
“Throughout the whole process, it still feels like a fairly tale,” said Hedges, 31, who is in his eighth big-league season. “It happens to other people, it’s not like it’s going to happen to you. We were up by a good amount of runs in the ninth inning (5-0 lead), but you’re still wondering is our lead big enough?
“Then you get that last out and there’s nothing left to do. There’s no other series to go play. There’s no other team you have to go beat.
“You’re the last team standing. It’s a feeling that’s hard to put into words.”
Hedges immediately took the ring out of the box, put it on his finger and showed it to the crowd. He told reporters he was going to show it to his teammates and then give it to his parents, Charlie and Pam, so they can take it home.
“I’d probably lose it,” he said.
Hedges was thrilled to receive the ring, but he felt it was a good way to bring closure to that chapter of his career.
