For Rafaela, this game is a family affair

This story was excerpted from Ian Browne’s Red Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

BALTIMORE -- After a four-season hiatus, Players’ Weekend returns on Friday throughout MLB.

It is a three-day showcase to give players an enhanced voice and creative outlet as they showcase their personality with an eye toward growing the game.

The theme of Sunday is appreciation, as players will celebrate the people who helped them in their journey to the big leagues.

For Red Sox rookie center fielder/shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela, the chance to express appreciation for his mother Rechilena and father Cezan is something he is going to enjoy to the absolute fullest.

Rechilena and Cezan are two absolute baseball junkies who enhanced young Ceddanne’s love for the game as they raised their son in Curaçao. After all, the 23-year-old’s full name is Ceddanne Chipper Nicasio Marte Rafaela.

Chipper? Yes, that’s an homage to Chipper Jones, the Hall of Famer who played his whole career for the Braves.

According to Ceddanne, Braves games were always on in his household, and the first reason for that was Andruw Jones, the brilliant center fielder who hailed from Curaçao. As Rechilena continued to watch the Braves, Chipper was the player who became her favorite.

Perhaps that’s because he played third base, which was Rechilena’s position as a highly competitive fast-pitch softball player. Rafaela has beautiful memories of watching his mom star on the field.

“Best defensive player I ever saw,” Rafaela said. “She played third when she was younger and then she moved to right field. She was really good. At that time, I was really young, but what I remember is that I really liked watching her play. She would catch everything.”

Now, they say the same thing about Ceddanne. But don’t sell Cezan short. He was also a star third baseman while playing semipro baseball, though his son never saw him play.

“He tells me he was a better defender than my mom,” said Rafaela. “At least that’s what he told me, but I didn’t see it.”

That can stay up for debate, but there’s no question about one thing: Ceddanne Rafaela would be nowhere near Camden Yards this weekend without his parents.

“No chance I’d be here without them,” said Rafaela. “I’m pretty proud of the parents I have.”

While he learned baseball techniques from his parents, that isn’t what first comes to mind.

“The winner I have inside of me, it comes from my family,” said Rafaela. “My mom, my dad, my brother, even my wife now, we all want to win.

What sticks out about the lessons from Rechilena and Cezan?

“They made me care more,” said Rafaela. “All the time, they would teach me how to do the right things in the sport, to respect the sport. You have to be disciplined. You have to respect your teammates. Since I was growing up, they were telling me that, and to respect my coaches and to respect the game. It’s something that they always taught me.”

When Rafaela went through a prolonged offensive drought earlier in the season, the support from his parents helped him get through it.

“They told me it was nothing I hadn’t gone through before,” Rafaela said. “At the beginning of the season, I wasn't where I'm at right now. So they just told me I would get out of it. They told me to just be patient and have fun. Obviously it's always great to have the support of your mom and your dad. I cannot ask God for more. It's everything.”