Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen is a frequent-flyer father
The Dodgers granted reliever Kenley Jansen permission to pitch for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, but only after he pitched in a Cactus League game Friday.
So Jansen pitched in Arizona on Friday afternoon, flew to San Francisco on Friday night and planned to sleep in Saturday. Then he got the call from his fiance, Candace.
“I woke up,” Jansen said, “and she was in labor.”
Jansen hustled to catch a flight to Los Angeles. He made it in time for the birth of his daughter, Natalia, then flew back to San Francisco.
As he took the field before Monday’s WBC semifinal between the Netherlands and the Dominican Republic, he said he was happy and his fiance and daughter were fine.
“I’m ready to go,” Jansen said. “Hopefully, we’re going to win.”
Jansen said he plans to visit his newborn daughter one more time before rejoining the Dodgers, probably Wednesday.
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