Central STL News

Cardinals catcher Yohel Pozo visited Mercy Hospital in St. Louis recently to meet with young patients and their families, drawing from his own experiences with a hospitalized child. Pozo’s son, Paul, was born in March 2020 and suffered seizures that led to a long hospital stay and regular medical appointments. During that period, as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the Minor League Baseball season, Pozo lost his insurance and most of his family’s money went toward medical bills, leaving them homeless for a time.

Pozo explained his motivation for the visit: “I know what the parents are going through and I know what the kids are going through because I’ve been there before going through the same thing,” he said. “Giving them an hour for joy, they’re going to remember that forever. Meeting an MLB baseball player for an hour will be with them forever.

“I’m doing it to honor my son, who had to go through something like this. Also, doing something good for others is something that makes me feel great because I know the tough times they are going through.”

During his visit, Pozo invited children at Mercy Hospital to dip their hands in colored paint and leave handprints on his bat. He plans to use this custom bat during MLB’s Players' Weekend festivities at Busch Stadium. “Using that bat is going to feel great at the plate,” said Pozo. “When I’m at the plate, I’m going to feel like I have all their power.”

Pozo has found success as a pinch-hitter for St. Louis this season, leading Major League Baseball with seven RBIs in pinch-hit situations and hitting .400 in those opportunities.

In addition to using the handprint bat during Players' Weekend—an event focused on player expression—Pozo intends to swing another bat painted purple with a blue ribbon meant to raise awareness of childhood illnesses.

A native of Maracaibo, Venezuela who is seeking American citizenship, Pozo reflected on becoming a role model: “If you had asked me a year ago about being a role model, I would roll my eyes and say, ‘No, not me,’” he said playfully. “But this year, I’ve gotten so many messages from kids through social media, asking me questions about my life as a ballplayer, and I’m happy to help. It just makes me feel good knowing that they are following me and looking to me. When I was a kid, it was [legendary Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina] who I was following. Now they are following me, and it feels great.”