SURPRISE, Arizona – A mom is there to be an athlete’s biggest supporter and for one Rangers rookie, he’s giving it all back thanks to his parents.
For outfielder Scott Heineman, he follows in the footsteps of many athletes in his family.
His brother Tyler is in the MLB with the San Francisco Giants and his mom was a gifted swimmer.
“We all have talents in our own rights. I have to give myself most athletic, and most handsome. No, no, no. My mom was a great athlete in college, was a swimmer,” Heineman joked.
But that’s not all mom has given to her sons. She also gets credit for their outgoing personalities and hard work ethic. Her career as a producer in the show business helps.
“Just to have a mom who is so driven in her field. She has been in the entertainment business for 45 plus years now. Coming up and working her way up is similar to how we do things in baseball. Honestly, you get drafted, you work your way through the minor leagues and then hopefully get to the big leagues and have a career.”
Scott Heineman
While Heineman’s mom encourages them to shoot for the big leagues, dad taught the kids to remain humble and give back.
In January, the Heinemann brothers held a charity Casino Night where participants played poker alongside several big-name ballplayers. The event raised money to provide academic, athletic, and art programs for at-risk children.
In just two years, they’ve raised more than $125,000.
“When we were driving to little league games we’d stop at the drug store we’d stop and get Gatorades before the game. We’d always get enough to give one to a homeless person at the field. The platform we have now at this stage we have the chance to make an impact on a lot of people and that’s very important to us,” Heineman said.
With a long road in front of him and a strong support system behind, Heineman hopes to make the most of every opportunity he gets.
