Oh look! Another week has passed by without baseball! This one was a real gut punch though. Opening day, or the lack there of, has come and gone and Major League Baseball has officially announced a shortened season is in the works. Seems as though we have plenty of time for discussing things like lineups, rotations, and what new food they may introduce at Citizens Bank Park this season. We need to add something to that list, perhaps a get to know you of sorts about Phillies new SS Didi Gregorius. We got to see the big smile and learn about his clubhouse positivity from the moment he signed, now let’s get more personal. Social distancing still applies of course…
Mariekson Julius “Didi” Gregorius was born in Amsterdam on February 18, 1990. Not the only athlete in his family, his father Johannes pitched for the Amsterdam Pirates and his mother Sheritsa played for the Dutch national softball team. At the age of five his family moved to the island nation of Curaçao. He played multiple sports throughout his youth including both soccer and basketball. He’s fluent in four languages, and interestingly enough his father, brother and Mariekson himself all go by Didi. Apparently a lot of people had trouble pronouncing there real names so Didi worked better.
Philadelphia Sports Chronicle 