Central STL News

As Cardinals catcher Yohel Pozo rounded the bases after hitting a tiebreaking home run in the sixth inning on Sunday, he was reminded of his son Paul and other children at Mercy Children’s Hospital. The bat Pozo used for the home run was decorated with painted handprints from children at the hospital, including his own son’s.

Paul Pozo experienced several strokes after his birth in March 2020. Despite doctors’ predictions that he would not walk or talk until much later, Paul began walking at age three and talking at four. “At the beginning, the doctors said he wouldn’t walk or talk until he was 8 or 9 years old, but he started walking at 3 and talking at 4,” said Pozo. “We give him therapy [year round], and the therapy has helped him a lot.”

During a recent visit to Mercy Children’s Hospital, young patients asked Pozo if he could hit a home run for them. He promised to try during the game against the Yankees. When reliever Camilo Doval delivered a slider over the plate, Pozo hit it 404 feet for his fifth home run of the season.

“The kids asked me if I could hit a homer and I was like, ‘Well, I’m going to try,’ and then when it happens -- as soon as I saw the ball and it was a homer -- I almost started crying running the bases just thinking about it,” Pozo said after an eventual 8-4 loss to New York. “I hope [the kids in the hospital] see that and see that I hit that homer for them.”

Pozo joined St. Louis late in spring training while considering playing in Mexico before getting called up when Iván Herrera suffered an injury in April. Since then, he has led all MLB hitters with seven pinch-hit RBIs this season and is second in pinch hits with six.

Five years ago, Pozo faced significant challenges: homelessness after losing his salary due to Minor League Baseball’s shutdown during COVID-19, while also supporting his son through medical treatments.

“He just enjoys life, and if you see him, he’s always smiling and he likes to hug people. He’s a happy kid,” added Pozo.

Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar commented on Pozo's impact since joining: “He’s been a favorite in the clubhouse from the day he came up... For him to have the role he’s had and do as well as he has -- from the story with his kid, the sacrifices he’s made for his family and doing what he did today with the bat -- it’s all really special. He’s been an amazing teammate and someone everybody roots for.”

Pozo plans to auction off the bat adorned with handprints to benefit Mercy Children’s Hospital St. Louis. “One of the toughest times of my life was when [Paul] was in the hospital, so I know what all those parents are going through,” said Pozo. “So, hopefully the money that we can get [for the bat] will help somebody.”