Brusdar Graterol reunited with his mother this week after seven years apart while she remained in Venezuela, and on Thursday night the Los Angeles Dodgers invited Ysmalia to throw out the first pitch at Dodger Stadium.
While Brusdar did not appear in the series opener against the San Francisco Giants due to pitching in each of the two nights prior, Ysmalia filled in more than admirably as she went to the mound and delivered a strike to her son.
That of course was not a surprise considering it was Ysmalia who helped train her son during his teenage years. Graterol’s mom throwing an accurate first pitch immediately began to spread across social media and draw comparisons to ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith.
Brusdar Graterol's Mom vs. Stephen A. Smith, 1st Pitch Mechanics. pic.twitter.com/vx2g2Gi4b8
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 22, 2023
It was a changeup! pic.twitter.com/iM1wV1Hy1c
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) September 21, 2023
Smith had the honor of throwing out the first pitch at Yankee Stadium, but his short-hopped from the mound. Smith posted on the social media platform formerly known as Twitter that he threw a changeup.
Along with Smith’s first pitch paling in comparison to Ysmalia’s, he has also evoked memories of rapper 50 Cent throwing well wide of the plate when he was invited by the New York Mets to do the honor during the 2014 season.
Brusdar Graterol emotional over reunion with mom
The Dodgers’ relief pitcher fought back emotions as he entered Tuesday’s game but let them out upon getting through the inning. Graterol’s mother had been in town since Sunday but that marked her first time watching him pitch in a Major League game.
“There were so much emotions going through me,” Graterol said after the win. “Happy tears the whole time.”
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