Proud pop: Charlie watches Ke'Bryan hit HR
PITTSBURGH -- Ke'Bryan Hayes hit his first homer since coming off the 60-day injured list on Friday, and one special person was there to capture it on camera.
In Friday's 9-2 win, Hayes hit a slider from Marlins starter Cody Poteet just shy of the bushes in center field to give the Pirates an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. As he rounded the bases, the AT&T SportsNet feed spotted his father and MLB veteran Charlie Hayes smiling as he recorded the moment on his phone from the seats at PNC Park.
And he gave it a little color commentary, appearing to say his famous phrase that has become a moniker for Ke’Bryan: “Young Hayes! Oh yeah!”
It’s not the first homer Hayes has hit. It’s not even the first of the season, as he blasted one on Opening Day in Chicago. But it was the first time Charlie saw Ke’Bryan hit a homer in person in his son’s young yet eventful Major League career. Ke'Bryan said the last regular-season game Charlie was able to attend was in 2019, when the younger Hayes was at Triple-A.
The night before Ke'Bryan lifted the homer, Charlie got to witness Hayes leg out a single, blast a triple off the Clemente Wall and make two incredible plays on defense to help the Pirates begin a seven-game homestand with a win.