Sir Didi Gregorius
Shortstop - Philadelphia Phillies
They say that there's no such thing as a bad one-year contract in baseball. While I agree with this philosophy, I can't help but to wish that the Phillies were able to lock Didi up for more than a single season. He's working to re-establish himself after a 2019 season that was shortened by surgery, and a one-year deal limits the Phillies risk if injuries continue to be a problem. However, Didi is a special player that doesn't come around everyday, and I would have been very happy to see a long term deal that keeps him in Philadelphia for the rest of his career.
With that being said, here are some fast facts about the 2020 Phillies shortstop:
- Didi is Dutch. He was born in Amsterdam in 1990 and raised in Curacao since he was five. He was discovered by scouts when he was playing in a tournament in The Hague when he was 16 years old.
- The "Sir" before his name on Twitter is not a nickname. Didi was a member of The Netherlands team that went 11-1 and defeated Cuba to win the 2001 Baseball World Cup. As a reward, each member of the team was knighted by the Dutch royal family.
- He speaks five languages: Dutch, Papiamentu, English, French and Spanish.
- While recovering from Tommy John surgery, Didi bought a piano and taught himself to play by watching YouTube videos. The first song he learned was John Legend’s “All of Me.”
- In addition to his musical talents, Didi is a photographer and an artist.
I can't wait to see this dude in the Phillies lineup. Welcome to Philadelphia, Sir Didi.
