There aren't a lot of players in baseball who are more fun than Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts.
He continued what has already been an incredible 2023 season with a new honor: Some Dodgers fans giving their newborn daughter the middle name "Mookie."
Betts recounted the events that led to the namesake Tuesday on Twitter. It all started while he stood in the on-deck circle against the Athletics in early August.
"Something pretty neat happened, and I wanted to share this story," Betts began. "Back a couple weeks ago I was on deck and this guy started talking to me. He said 'Mookie if you hit a home run, I'll name my daughter, her middle name Mookie.'"
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Betts laughed it off, but he said the fan was persistent. "And so I turned around I said 'nah don't do that bro,'" Betts continued. "Don't do that. And he said 'nah I'm gonna tell her.'" Betts added he thought the fan might be on the phone with his wife.
Betts went on to say he hit "the furthest home run I've hit in my career."
Hit 'em with that Mookie Magic. pic.twitter.com/rLo7y1FQAd
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) August 2, 2023
The missile out to left field went a cool 436 feet and was, in fact, Betts' furthest-hit ball this season, according to Baseball Savant. He gave the fan a fist bump on his way back to the dugout after the home run.
What could have been a fun one-off interaction had a heck of a pay-off for Betts, however.
"A couple weeks later, I see on Twitter the birth certificate for 'Francesca Mookie Mancuso,'" he said. "Shoutout to you Giuseppe. I can't wait to meet Francesca. That's gonna be my girl."
One of the coolest moments of ya boy’s entire career! Bro is a man of his word 😂👶🏼 #babymookie pic.twitter.com/rVIG4VWJVe
— Mookie Betts (@mookiebetts) August 15, 2023
Giuseppe Mancuso posted the birth certificate on Aug. 10.
Hey @Dodgers @mookiebetts @SportsNetLA a bet is a bet. Meet Francesca Mookie Mancuso pic.twitter.com/YftfboJeFV
— Giuseppe Mancuso (@littleragu54) August 10, 2023
If you're going to be named after an MLB player, you can do a lot worse than "Mookie."
But hopefully, Francesca doesn't somehow become a Red Sox fan. That could lead to some hard conversations in the Mancuso household about Boston ownership and how Betts went on to be a Dodger.
