Even though Nestor Cortes is an All-Star pitcher for the New York Yankees, he is not treated like a celebrity in his hometown. In fact, the Yankees starter just went on Twitter to tell his followers about a funny thing that happened to him while he was trying to practice before the 2023 MLB season.
Nestor Cortes, who is from Hialeah, Florida, went to a park near his home to try to play catch on a baseball field. However, he couldn’t practice at the field as it was already reserved for soccer games on that day. In a tweet, he told about the funny thing that happened.
Cortes tweeted, “Probably shouldn’t be making a big deal out of this. But the public park I grew up in and is very close to my house just told me I couldn’t play catch because the field was rented out for soccer. Mind you I was standing on the baseball field. Luckily I was done.”
The Yankees pitcher ended his tweet with an emoji signaling his hilarious reaction and indicating that he wasn’t too upset about this. But for fans, it looks a bit odd. A highly-revered professional who is a starter for a team like the New York Yankees not only went unnoticed but also kicked off the field because it was rented for soccer. Nestor Cortes also points out that he was on a baseball field, not a soccer field.
Unfortunately, Nestor Cortes might need a few more seasons like the one he had in 2022 before he doesn’t have to worry about getting kicked out of parks. The Yankee’s left-handed starter will have to find another way to practice for the 2023 season until then.
After Nestor Cortes’ funny tweet, his delighted fans also tweeted.
Nestor Cortes remains a fan favorite
Last season, Nestor Cortes was a big surprise and he soon became the Yankees fan-favorite. He got his first spot on an All-Star team. He went over 100 innings for the first time, then 125, then 150, and ended the season with 158 1/3 innings that made him a star. He went 14-4 and had an ERA of 2.44, but Judge’s American League record of 62 home runs overshadowed him.
According to ESPN Stats and Info:
“Nestor Cortes is the 4th different Yankees starting pitcher in the postseason in the Wild Card Era (since 1995) to allow 1 or 0 runs in 5 innings pitched on three days rest. The others: Gerrit Cole, C.C. Sabathia, and Andy Pettitte.”
Nestor Cortes even got two votes for American League Cy Young, which put him in eighth place. He threw 158 and the third innings. The year before, he had thrown 93 innings, which was his MLB career high.
Following his acceptance of $3.2 million contract for 2023, Nestor Cortes turned emotional. He tweeted that “It’s a special day for my family and me. Especially my parents. Sacrificed so much for the ‘American dream.’ Always put me ahead of their needs. For EVERYONE keep grinding and stay hungry. This is the start! No matter what comes next.”
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