CHICAGO — If you aren’t a fan of the Dodgers or Yankees or Astros, and you want someone to root for in the World Series, let me suggest Enrique Hernandez.
You saw what he did in Game 5 of the NLCS, becoming just the fifth player in major league history to hit three home runs in a playoff series-clinching game, an 11-1 win for the Dodgers. The others: Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, Adrian Beltre and Adam Kennedy.
FAGAN: Puerto Rico on Hernandez's mind as he powers Dodgers
“Couldn’t happen to a better guy,” Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger told SN after the Dodgers punched their ticket to the World Series. "He’s in a special category in the postseason now."
That certainly is pretty good company. And he did that in front of his father, who was at the game. His dad, also named Enrique Hernandez, battled cancer (multiple myeloma) last year.
SCHEDULE: World Series begins Oct. 24 in LA
Here’s another reason you’d want to root for the Dodgers’ super utility guy: He’s one of several MLB players from Puerto Rico who are helping raise money to help with hurricane relief efforts after both Irma and Maria crushed the island.
GAME CENTER: Complete stats from LA-Chicago
After the game, Hernandez talked with a handful of reporters about Puerto Rico, his dad and helping the Dodgers get back to the World Series for the first time since 1988. Instead of breaking up the quotes in a column, we’re going to let his powerful words stand on their own.
On giving people in Puerto Rico something to smile about
"Right now, they don’t have many things going for them. This is something they have to look to. I’m on the Dodgers, and on that team (the Cubs) they have three Puerto Ricans — Javy Baez, Rene Rivera and Victor Caratini — the Yankees have their third-base coach (Joe Espada) and the Astros have (Carlos) Correa and (Carlos) Beltran, and the bench coach is Alex Cora. This is something little that they’ve got. This is about the only thing they’ve got going on for them right now. For me to be able to give something for them to cheer about, even if it’s for three or four hours, however long this game was, that’s something I can’t put into words. And it’s part of the reason why I can’t remember much of this game."
On thinking about his dad during game
"There’s a lot going on in my mind, but the No. 1 thing for me was I was just wanting the game to be over so I could go give my dad a big ol’ hug. I didn’t really care about anything else, but I wanted to give my dad a hug. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be here. He sacrificed a lot through my life for me to be here right now. Last year he had to battle cancer and he kicked cancer’s ass. It was only a month ago I was in Puerto Rico because I was at my grandpa’s funeral. My dad’s dad passed. I was lucky enough to leave Puerto Rico a day before the hurricane hit. People back home are going through really horrible times, and for me to be able to do this on a stage like this and give the people back home something to smile about, at least for a little bit, it’s something I truly can’t put into words. It means the world to me."
On his dad and baseball
"If I didn’t have the dad that I have, I wouldn’t be here right now. I don’t know if I would even have been playing baseball. I learned to love the game through him. He sacrificed jobs, even lost jobs, just to be there for me at all times growing up and as a baseball player. He sat me down one time and said, ‘I'm never going to force you to play this game, but if you’re serious about it, I’m all in with you.’ He meant every single word of that, and I was able to get to the big leagues when a lot of people told me I couldn’t, told me I would never make the big leagues. And not only did I make it, but I helped my team tonight get to the World Series. He's had a rough last few years. Last year, the entire season he was dealing with cancer and he kicked cancer’s ass. … for him to be here right now, I honestly can’t wait to be done with this interview so I can go give him a hug."
On wearing his Puerto Rico shirt during warmups
Those are my shirts. I teamed up with a company called 500 Level, and all the proceeds from those shirts are going to Puerto Rico, the people who are affected by Irma and Maria. I got every one of my teammates one of those shirts, and we all wore them one day for BP, and there are still some guys wearing those for BP. That is something that is awesome for me, something I can’t really put into words, to have their support, to have those guys say, 'I have your back' without even actually saying anything to me. It’s truly amazing. We’re going to the World Series."
Enrique Hernandez played for Team Puerto Rico in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. (Getty Images)
On Astros owner Jim Crane flying his family out of Puerto Rico
"My family was able to get out on that plane. My fiancee's family, entire family, was able to get out on that plane. Mr. Crane was extremely generous for him to do what he did. There was no reason for him to do all of what he did for my people back home. There are still some good people in the world, man. That is something I will always be extremely grateful for. If we meet them in the World Series, hopefully I can go up to him and say, ‘Mr. Crane, I know that you traded me, but thanks for getting my family out of Puerto Rico when they needed to get out of there.' It was amazing."
On hitting three home runs in Game 5
"It’s crazy. I don’t have a lot of words for it. It’s truly special to get to the World Series, and it’s pretty cool that I just had that game. But more importantly, that just tells you what this team is all about. This team has had a different guy come up big every single night, for 162 games and the eight games that we’ve played this postseason. Every single night there’s a different guy coming up big and tonight it was my night."
On the Dodgers getting to the World Series
"To do what we did the last two series just tells you what type of team we have. The depth that this team has, from the No. 1 player on this roster to the 25th. You know that guy’s going to give you 100 percent and he’s going to help the team win a championship. So far, that’s what we’ve been doing. We’re not going to sit down and say, ‘We got to the World Series!’ That’s not the goal. The goal is to win the World Series, and we didn’t accomplish anything if we don’t win it. Getting to the World Series is awesome and it’s something that doesn’t happen very often, but if we get to the World Series and don’t win it, the season was worth nothing. The goal hasn’t changed."
