PHOENIX –– Alex Vesia looked down, wiped his eyes, then handed a box of tissues to a nearby Dodgers staff member.
For the first time sincelosing his newborn daughter, Sterling Sol, last October, andsubsequently missing the World Seriesas he and his wife, Kayla, mourned her death, the Dodgers reliever was about to discuss the tragedy publicly with reporters.
And even before he began, he was fighting through somber tears and quivering breaths.
“I was not prepared tonot bring my baby girl home,” Vesia said. “But we’re carrying her with us every day.”
In his six-minute address Friday, Vesia thanked the Dodgers and the larger baseball community for the support his family felt last October and over the offseason. “The outpouring of love and support Kay and I have had over the past few months has been unmatched,” he said.
He expressed gratitude for gestures made by the Toronto Blue Jays (who had every one of their relievers write Veisa’s No. 51 on their caps during last year’s Fall Classic) and Los Angeles Rams (who sent him a signed jersey withthe name “S. Vesia”on the back), while noting that “my DMs are basically broken on Instagram from all the love and support that we’ve had.”
He described the conflicting emotions he felt while watching the World Series from afar: “Stepping away from the team, and the brothers I go to war with every day, was difficult,” he acknowledged. “But it was also an easy decision, because my family needed me.”
His full remarkspic.twitter.com/Ablc5yQj2a
Then, he got most choked up while remembering the short time he and his wife had with their daughter, who died from unspecified causes on Oct. 26, shortly after being born.
“The lessons we’ve learned from this is that life can change in an instant,” Vesia said. “Ten minutes is all it took. Sterling Sol was the most beautiful girl in the world. We got to hold her, change her diaper, read to her, and love her. Our time together was far too short. Kay and I will keep those precious moments and memories to ourselves. I hope that anyone listening can empathize and respect our wishes for privacy as we continue to heal, and as we navigate the ups and downs of a baseball season.”
Source: California Post – Breaking California News, Photos & Videos
