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Father’s Day 2024: How Texas Rangers dads won World Series amid ‘whirlwind’ circumstances

Thirteen players who appeared for the 2023 world champion Rangers had children during the calendar year. Marcus Semien, Jacob deGrom and more share their stories.

The Rangers’ run to the 2023 World Series title created memories that will be remembered for generations to come.

And we’re just talking about their expanding families.

Why This Story Matters
For 13 Rangers players who welcomed new babies in 2023, the World Series championship wasn’t that year’s biggest event. Some became fathers for the first time. Some dealt with the unknowns of premature births. The performance of professional athletes on the field often overshadows their home life. A handful of the new fathers shared perspectives about juggling parenthood with the pressure-filled life of professional baseball.
(Texas Rangers baseball players, clockwise from top left) Pitcher Dane Dunning and his son...
(Texas Rangers baseball players, clockwise from top left) Pitcher Dane Dunning and his son Mack; pitcher Andrew Heaney pictured with his twin daughters Eleanor (right) and Olivia; infielder Marcus Semien and his children (from left) Isaiah, Amelie, Eli and Joshua; pitcher Josh Sborz pictured with his children Werth (left) and Shepard; outfielder Travis Jankowski pictured with children (from left) Radleigh, Jett, Wrenlyn and Bentley; and pitcher Jacob deGrom his children (from left) Nolan, Aniston and Jaxon. They are all photographed at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, May 15, 2024.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

Along the way to winning the first World Series in franchise history, the Rangers experienced a baby boom. Thirteen players who appeared for the Rangers in 2023 had children during the calendar year.

Having a baby is a joyous and angsty occasion for any family, but especially with the heavy travel, high performance pressure and, often times, lack of long-term security in baseball. There are no guarantees dad will even be at the birth, though times have changed. Now, it’s encouraged and accounted for with a paternity list that allows for a temporary roster move.

Still, the schedule and expectations add an extra level of stress. One Ranger had to bolt from the dugout mid-game to get home. Another flew coast-to-coast on a red-eye. One thought he was about to lose his job when the baby arrived. Another tried to figure out if there was a way to get to the birth without missing any playoff games.

“You are happy for them, it’s such a big moment,” said manager Bruce Bochy, father of two grown sons. “But it is often an adjustment for them and for a team. The moment is amazing, but you also wonder, ‘Will they get their rest, how will the responsibilities affect them?’ Somehow, we just kept going. You talk about all the injuries we had, but we had even more babies.”

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When Bochy, then a 24-year-old backup catcher, had his first son in 1979, he was riding the bench in a game at Philadelphia. Didn’t see wife Kim and newborn Greg until a week later when he returned to Houston. When Brett was born in 1987, Bochy and his San Diego teammates were home.

“There’s nothing like it,” Bochy said of holding his newborn for the first time. “You realize that life is what’s important. And the connection between parent and child in that moment is amazing.”

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As a handful of Rangers approach Father’s Day with a new child, here are some of their stories:

Dane and Rachel Dunning, son Mack born May 25, 2023

Texas Rangers Dane Dunning and his wife, Rachel, and son, Mack, at Globe Life Field in...
Texas Rangers Dane Dunning and his wife, Rachel, and son, Mack, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, May 15, 2024. (Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)
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Dane Dunning had it all laid out. He’d pitch, as scheduled, in the opening game of a three-game road trip. On a scheduled off day between Pittsburgh and Baltimore, he’d jet back to his home in Charlotte, N.C., to check in with his wife, Rachel, as she approached her due date and be back to make his next scheduled start.

We plan. God laughs.

The plans went out the window two days after the start in Pittsburgh, when pitching coach Mike Maddux walked up to him in the dugout and said: “It’s time to be home.”

Rachel’s water had broken about two weeks before her due date. She was heading to the hospital. She’d notified team officials since it happened in the middle of a game. They relayed the message to the dugout and Maddux became the message-bearer. Dunning, in his words, “bolted” up to the clubhouse, flagged down an MLB security officer and gained permission to use his phone. In a sweat, he reached Rachel on FaceTime.

“She was doing the dishes,” Dunning said. “And I’m like, ‘You are about to have your first child and you are doing dishes?’ She didn’t want everybody to come home to a dirty house.”

Dunning was able to change all his flight plans, get back to Charlotte and be there for the delivery of Mack. It was the only time the family was together for the first six weeks, including his first Father’s Day. Rachel and Mack came to Arlington at the All-Star break.

“It was the most eye-opening experience of my life,” Dunning said of welcoming the child. “You get a newfound respect for mothers. It was the craziest, coolest thing to hold your baby for the first time. It has changed the way I live my life.”

Jacob and Stacey deGrom, son Nolan born June 1, 2023

Texas Rangers Jacob deGrom his children, (from left) Nolan, Aniston and Jaxon, at Globe Life...
Texas Rangers Jacob deGrom his children, (from left) Nolan, Aniston and Jaxon, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, May 15, 2024. (Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

Imagine having a newborn and not being able to hold him in your arms.

This was Jacob deGrom’s worry. His season was already done. By the end of May, he knew he was facing surgery — and a long rehab — on his precious, but temperamental right elbow. It would mean wearing a bulky brace and also an inability to pick up anything of significance for a while. The club and deGrom had scheduled surgery for just after Stacey’s early June due date when she went into labor June 1 with Nolan. (No, it’s not a nod to Nolan Ryan, not a conscious one anyway).

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“It was kind of a whirlwind of things,” deGrom said. “The whole thought process when you are having a baby is you want to hold the baby, help the baby and help your wife. And you are nervous about all that. And then you are facing having surgery in 12 days. It’s kind of a worst-case scenario. It’s not what you want. It kind of had me riding the roller coaster, you know?

“The goal is to be out there competing, and I wasn’t able to do that. But [the birth] brought joy in that time. You know, you’ve seen the birth of your third child and you are fortunate enough to have three very healthy kids.”

DeGrom does not take that for granted. When the couple’s first child, Jaxon, was born in 2016, he had an apnea issue and spent a week in the Neonatal ICU. The deGroms spent the entire week in the hospital with the baby. The couple also has a daughter, 6-year-old Aniston.

He also does not take for granted the impact of having a large group of young fathers in the same clubhouse.

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“You play this game as a child with dreams of playing at this level,” he said. “Our kids are very fortunate to get to experience this part of it. I love having them around. It puts everything in perspective. I used to beat myself up pretty bad over starts and then after you have kids, whether you pitch a shutout or give up 10 runs, they want to play. The goal is to win, but as long as you can look in the mirror, even if you got beat up and know you gave 100%, that’s all you can ask. Having kids made it easier to flush bad starts and not dwell on them too much.”

Andrew and Jordan Heaney, twin daughters Eleanor and Olivia born July 3, 2023

They had waited a long time for the gift of children. And then they arrived early.

Having exhausted options for pregnancy, Andrew and Jordan Heaney were about a month from exploring surrogacy or adoption when Jordan found out she was pregnant early in 2023. With twins. She was due in September. She didn’t make it to the All-Star break.

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Heaney had just worked five shutout innings against Houston on July 2, a Sunday, and, as luck would have it, walked away with no decision. The bullpen blew a lead. The Rangers lost 5-3. The only saving grace was the series was a rare, four-game wrap-around series, meaning the Rangers would play one more at home on Monday before hitting the road to the East Coast for a week.

Texas Rangers Andrew Heaney pictured with his twin daughters Eleanor (right) and Olivia at...
Texas Rangers Andrew Heaney pictured with his twin daughters Eleanor (right) and Olivia at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, May 15, 2024.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

So Heaney was at home around midnight when Jordan said she wasn’t feeling well. The Heaneys were aware their twins were monodi twins, who share a placenta and an amniotic sac. At 29 weeks in, there was a strong possibility Jordan was going to spend the final weeks of the pregnancy on bed rest. So, they took no chances, and went to UT-Southwestern. Five hours later they were the parents of identical girls, each weighing 3 pounds, 4 ounces.

“It was one of those moments where you have no idea what you are doing,” Heaney said. “You are excited but scared. Happy, but nervous.”

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They weren’t able to do much more than hold out a finger to the babies for the first two weeks. They drove to the hospital every day. Weren’t able to take the girls home until September. A week later, Heaney departed for the final road trip of the regular season, leaving Jordan and the girls behind.

“It was all a lot,” Heaney said. “The progress wasn’t always linear. But the doctors and the hospital staff were great, they kept reassuring us. It just took us time to feel comfortable with the whole idea of, like: ‘Am I allowed to touch my baby?’

“They gave them a great head start.”

As they approach their first birthday, both girls are doing well. They’ve even made their first road trip as a family — to Arizona for Game 3 of the World Series.

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Came back with a nice souvenir, too.

Travis and Lindsey Jankowski, daughter Wrenlyn born Aug. 10, 2023

Texas Rangers Travis Jankowski pictured with his wife, Lindsey, and children (from left)...
Texas Rangers Travis Jankowski pictured with his wife, Lindsey, and children (from left) Wrenlyn, Bentley, Radleigh and Jett at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, May 15, 2024.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

Both the Dunnings and deGroms had considered Nolan as a baby name. Neither said it was a nod to Nolan Ryan. Travis Jankowski and his wife, Lindsey, almost named their new daughter Seager, and it most assuredly was with his teammate in mind.

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The Jankowskis like creative, unusual names. Their oldest son, born in 2018, is 5-year-old Bentley. They adopted Jett after a series of miscarriages and the thought they might not be able to further have children. Two weeks after bringing newborn Jett home, Lindsey found out she was pregnant again. They welcomed a daughter: Radleigh. They are seven months apart. Jett is 3, Radleigh 2.

“We want unique, not strange,” Jankowski said of the naming process. “I always think of the Seinfeld episode where George wanted to name a kid ‘Seven.’ OK, that was a bit strange. But we want things that are creative and not common, that will stand out.”

After Travis jetted across the country on an off-day red-eye, attended the birth of their fourth child and was getting ready to get Lindsey home before rejoining the Rangers, they still didn’t have a name. Lindsey liked Winnie. Travis thought it was adorable for a baby. Might not be as cute in school or on a résumé. He took a shot: “What about Seager?” … like All-Star shortstop and eventual World Series MVP Corey Seager.

Ultimately, they compromised on Wrenlyn. Wrenny or Wren for short.

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“When I got back to the team, I told Corey that, hey, we had been struggling for names and I mentioned ‘Seager,’ and asked if he thought that was weird,” Jankowski said. “He looked at me and said, ‘If you don’t name your next kid Seager, I’m going to be offended.’”

Josh and Alexis Sborz, son Shepard born Sept. 9, 2023

Texas Rangers Josh Sborz pictured with his children Werth (left) and Shepard at Globe Life...
Texas Rangers Josh Sborz pictured with his children Werth (left) and Shepard at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, May 15, 2024.(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)

Josh Sborz was facing every 29-year-old’s nightmare: about to be unemployed and bringing another baby into the world.

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On Labor Day, Houston abused him for six hits and five runs in less than an inning to start a dominating sweep of the Rangers. It was the fifth time in six games that Sborz, out of minor league options, had given up runs. His ERA since July 1: 12.12. The Rangers were out of bullpen answers and probably out of patience.

He texted Alexis after the game: “I’ve probably pitched my last game here.”

She was ahead of him. She’d already read the tweets of a dunderheaded reporter suggesting the same.

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Alexis, who played soccer at Virginia while Josh played baseball, understood the performance-based nature of the game. You don’t get results, you don’t stay employed. What neither counted on was the level of understanding GM Chris Young had. Sborz had dealt with biceps tendinitis early in the season, then recurring hamstring tightness. Sborz tried to pitch through it; Young used the IL as a last-ditch effort to get him healthy.

Four days later, Alexis kicked Josh awake at 2 a.m. with her contractions. They hustled from Keller to downtown Dallas where Shepard was delivered at 5:30 in the morning, two days earlier than her due date. In an instant, everything changed.

“You hit rock bottom and then you realize baseball is just a thing in life; it’s not actually life,” Sborz said. “This grounds you. It makes you worry about the things you should worry about.”

Sborz returned three weeks later, finally fully healthy, and with Alexis, Shepard, their 2-year-old son Werth and his in-laws in tow. Throughout the playoffs and the cross-country journeys, Alexis and the boys stayed in a separate room on the road so Josh could get regular rest. Worked out pretty well. Sborz allowed one run in 10 postseason games. Struck out Ketel Marte to end the World Series. Slammed his glove to the ground in excitement to ignite the Rangers’ celebration.

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The biggest moment in Rangers history was the second-biggest moment of the year for Sborz.

Marcus and Tarah Semien, daughter Amelie, born Oct. 12, 2023

Texas Rangers Marcus Semien and his wife, Tarah, and children (from left) Isaiah, Amelie,...
Texas Rangers Marcus Semien and his wife, Tarah, and children (from left) Isaiah, Amelie, Eli and Joshua at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, May 15, 2024. (Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)
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No Ranger had more riding on winning the division than Marcus Semien.

Semien and his wife, Tarah, already parents to active young boys Isaiah (7), Joshua (6) and Eli (3), found out early in the season they were expecting a fourth child: on Oct. 21.

“We looked at the due date and I said: ‘OK, wow, let’s hope we have some decisions to make,’” Semien said. “Beyond that, we were really just focusing on having a healthy baby.”

Well, at least until the last week of the season.

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As the Rangers approached the final road trip of the regular season with a chance at winning the division and earning home-field advantage, it also meant improving chances of being home for the baby’s birth. And then the Rangers lost three of four at Seattle, ended up as a wild card and faced having to spend another week on the road before getting home.

“I was pretty bummed,” said Semien, whose youngest son Eli was born in the middle of free agency in 2021 just ahead of a stressful lockout. “I wanted to be home. Obviously, if we lost, we’d be home. But I wanted us to keep playing, too.”

He ended up getting both. The Rangers won twice at Tampa Bay to win the Wild Card series, then swept Baltimore in the AL Division Series. Tarah and the boys danced with Marcus on the field after the clincher against Baltimore, then she told her husband that she’d worked out a plan to induce labor during the Rangers’ downtime ahead of the AL Championship Series.

The Rangers clinched their trip to the ALCS on Oct. 10. They went to the hospital the next night and Tarah gave birth to the couple’s first daughter, Amelie, on Oct. 12. Semien got the family home and situated before going to Houston and leading off Game 1 of the ALCS. And though playing seven of the remaining 12 games on the road was difficult, there were some benefits, too.

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“It was extremely difficult to have to leave to go to Houston during the first days of our daughter’s life, but Tarah’s parents were extremely helpful,” Semien said. “Playoff baseball is very intense. It’s very demanding. It demands your full attention. I can’t necessarily say I was well-rested during the home games, a little better on the road. That we won the whole thing, too, is something Tarah and I are extremely proud of.

“We will never forget October 2023.”

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