The pitch from Bell... fly ball pounde deep down the left field line.

It is GONE!

Two one launched out to left field.

Green goes back.

He looks up.

Danny Bautista has got his first of 2024.

Danny Bautista Jr is a minor league first baseman for the Lansing Lug nuts.

The minor league professional team is a high-A affiliate for the Oakland A's.

So that's.

Seven years ago at the age of 17 he was signed by the A's Out of the Dominican Republic.

He's been trying to work his way up to the majors ever since.

Danny?

When were you bitten by the baseball bug?

Do you remember that?

Man...

It was probably when I learned how to walk I get, like, flashbacks of being on Bank One Ballpark, now known as Chase Field.

planted a seed in my brain, like, man, I got to get here.

On an overcast evening in late May, The Lugnuts played host to the Peoria Chiefs - High A affiliate of the Saint Louis Cardinals.

I took a trip to check out the game at Jackson Field, home of the Lugnuts in downtown Lansing.

The Lugnuts would win in the bottom of the ninth off a Brayan Buelvas triple to right, moving to 0.500 on the year.

"Dump the Gatorade all over him!"

That voice you hear is that of Jesse Goldberg-Strassler.

He's been the play by play voice of the Luggies for more than 15 years.

Jesse says that for Danny, there's more to him than just the player.

What makes Danny Bautista Jr special?

He's in my personal Hall of Fame of human beings.

I think he's just a good gu It's how he treats other people.

It's the work that he puts in.

It's the way that he thinks about others because he is making sure to take care of himself, to take care of his teammates, thinks about his family, everything else that he's thinking about.

And then there's that drive within him.

How do you really differentiate a player who does make it and one who doesn't?

Now obviousl talent plays into that, right?

The numbers play into that, but there are certain intangibles that allow Player to get there and not Player B.

Hard work and get lucky.

So you've got to work hard to put yourself in a position to get the call.

The second thing is you have to develop good work habits, Danny is a prime example of what good work habits are all about for a professional baller.

He's developed a routine that consists of waking up early, centering his mind with meditation and placing an emphasis on health and nutrition, which hopefully gives him the right foundation to go out and produce on the field.

These habits are kind of in his blood.

"... every bit as unbelievable here."

You have a D.R.

legend.

"... World Champions" and you're his son.

So a lot of people expect a lot from you.

Danny's father Danny Bautista is a former Dominican professional baseball player who put in work in the majors for 11 years.

He was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the early nineties, playin for four different franchises, including the Arizona Diamondbacks, where he won a World Series in '01.

When he retired, he would finish with 685 hits and a 0.272 batting average He's highly regarded in his home country How often do you talk to him and how often does he give you advice on the game?

you know, he's basically my best friend.

I talk to my dad every single day.

I can talk to him about anything.

You know, he's lived through this and I'm very blessed to have in my life.

How do you deal with the nepotism of being his son it's very tough.

I feel like I put the pressure on myself because he named me Junior as much as he says not to think about it, like just play your game you can really feel it sometimes.

Danny's possible road to the majors is admittedly taking longer than he has expected.

His numbers have been up and down.

Not quite good enough yet to snag him.

an invite to the major league level.

He's also in his second seaso of learning a new position.

"... Bautista with a sliding snag.

Nice play."

First base.

What is it like playing that position.

You know, last year it was.

It was a learning curve.

I wasn't really new to the infield.

But however, first base, especially now in pro ball, you have a bunch of lefties who just... Crush balls that way and you just trying to get in front of it, But this year I feel more comfortable Comfort and minor league baseball are two things that don't normally go hand in hand.

Aside from trying to produce good numbers in order to move up, that pursuit can make you a journeyman.

You are constantly signed and moved to different teams around the minor league circuit for a kid from the D.R.. You can imagine how hard it ca be to make your hat your home.

The Lugnuts and professional baseball have tried to change that with a new initiative geared toward its Hispanic and Latino players.

Lugnuts GM Zac Clark has helped usher in the Lansing Locos.

baseball developed a program called Copa de La Diversion.

Okay.

All right.

So every minor league team has the optio to create an alternate identity that celebrates their Hispani heritage and their communities.

This is a cool way to integrate the Latino heritage of baseball yes, the Copa de La Diversion started in 2017 as a way to connect baseball to it Hispanic and Latino communities.

To date, over 80 teams have adopted a culturally relevant onfield person like that of the Lansing Locos.

What's that mean to you having Dominican roots?

Yeah, man, it's amazing.

And especially being bilingual, you kind of get to, you know, bring both worlds together.

And I feel like that's what's really good about our clubhouse right now.

everybody's unified.

Everybody has the same goals and moving up and it's just a fun, fun team to be around.

Feels at home.

Yeah.

But like for many minor league players, Danny isn't trying to mak the Lugnuts his permanent home.

He can feel the clock ticking and the pressure o trying to make it is palpable.

He's been here since 2018.

This is a contract year for him.

What are his chances of making it up to Double-A and then possibly the majors?

Well.

He had to put in a lot of work with single-A, Stockton, and then he got to Lansing and he took another step forward last year and he finished last year strong.

I think it's tough for him to give all that he's given and then say to himself, why am I still here?

And yet I thin he's doing all the right things.

you even allow your mind to go there?

Like, okay, if nobody does pick me up, what do I do?

I try not to.

It's really easy when you're, you're having, a good week, good month and stuff like let's keep on flowing.

But once that slump hits you, it's it's, it's very tough.

has the dream matched reality?

The dream has not matched reality so far.

It's it's more of the process of it.

it's like climbing a mountain.

You know, you got to go up, down, left, right.

But it's it' a part of the process for sure.

And I'm loving every moment of it.