CHICAGO — Francisco Reyes was a shop owner by day and softball ringer by night. The 6-foot man never played baseball growing up in the Dominican Republic, yet he was feared in high-stakes softball games across the region.
Teams were willing to even pay him to play, and he used his powerful right-handed bat to supplement his family's income. He didn't have to travel far for games, either. There was a field a few blocks away from his home. No matter the location, he'd bring his son, Pablo, beginning when the boy was 4 years old.
Francisco would pitch to his son and hit him ground balls. Then, Pablo would watch from the stands as his father hammered pitch after pitch. That, the son recalled at his corner locker stall inside Wrigley Field, was where his passion for the game was born. The elder Reyes taught his son to swing at any pitch in the strike zone, no matter how high or what velocity. That advice was heeded throughout Pablo's trek through the minor leagues and, finally, upon fulfilling a dream his father never thought was attainable.
Reyes, listed at 5-foot 8 and 170 pounds, was told repeatedly he was too short to play the sport, let alone reach the majors. Yet, there he was Tuesday night, starting in right field and hitting a three-run homer to help the Pirates beat the Cubs, 6-0. That improved their record to 80-76 and prevented an announced crowd of 33,443 from celebrating a playoff berth.
"My dad told me not to think about signing with any team because, 'I don’t think you can play,'" Reyes, a 25-year-old utility man, told DKPittsburghSports.com. "He told me to quit playing. 'You’re too short and too little. You don’t have any power or anything like that.' That was frustrating for me. It was my dream. I wanted to follow it. Nobody thought I could do this."
Reyes was only 5-foot-7 and weighed roughly 150 pounds when he was signed at age 18 by Juan Mercado and Rene Gayo for $90,000 in 2012. They were the only scouts to offer the Santo Domingo native a contract. Teams weren't lining up to watch Reyes play since he lacked power and failed the eye test. It didn't help that he struggled in workouts, either.
But he caught the Pirates' attention during a game and signed shortly thereafter. Reyes required two seasons in the Dominican Summer League, yet his manager there, Gera Alvarez, who spent this year at High-A Bradenton, recalled recently that he thought the diminutive player had a chance to make it to the majors because of his versatility and athleticism.
Those traits weren't enough to convince Reyes' father, though. Francisco, an owner of a baseball equipment shop, first told his son to stop playing the sport when Pablo was just 5-foot-5, only an inch taller than his mother. Other kids his age were far bigger and hit for power, two traits more likely to catch the eye of pro scouts. Even Pablo's friends doubted him.
"That always motivated me," Reyes said. "You see how tall [Astros second baseman Jose] Altuve is, I knew I could do it. It doesn’t matter how tall you are in baseball. You just have to do what you have to do. No one wanted me until [Mercado] said, 'I'm going to give you an opportunity because I know you can play.'"
He's never been ranked among the Pirates' top 30 prospects by Baseball America, let alone in the sport's top 100. Reyes never had the power or production to outshine his peers, however, he's never had an on-base percentage lower than .337 and has stolen 115 bases over seven minor-league seasons. He hit a career-high 12 home runs at Low A West Virginia in 2015, and hit 10 more with Double-A Altoona last season. While the Pirates more highly-touted prospects had already been sent to minor-league camp this spring, Reyes was among the Pirates' final cuts.
He batted .289 with 20 doubles, eight homers and 36 RBIs in 110 games with Indianapolis, where he also played above-average defense at five different positions. Still, he watched as nearly two dozen of his teammates were recalled before him, and few outside the organization seemed to take notice of him.
"We like the newest, flashiest, we’re going to jump on this bandwagon; we’re gong to honk the horn — just let him play," Clint Hurdle said. "We love the success he’s having. … There’s an experience and learning curve going on. I’ll tell ya, the thing for me, he looks in the mirror (and) he’s 6-3, 215. That plays."
With Gregory Polanco out, Hurdle's turned to Reyes in right field, one of only four positions he never played in the minor leagues and has made 13 putouts in eight starts, as well as an outfield assist when he threw a runner out at home. He also uses an unorthodox batting stance where he holds the bat high over his head and has wowed his teammates with his power.
Almost all of his home runs in Indianapolis were estimated at more than 400 feet, according to Reyes and several of his teammates there. A few were hit when he swung at shoulder-level fastballs, just like his father taught him all those years ago. There's never been a fear to swing, as he illustrated with this hack at an inside changeup for a three-run homer off Mike Montgomery in the second inning Tuesday night:
"I've always known he can play," Jose Osuna said. "Height doesn't matter in this game. Look at Altuve. He's 5-6 and one of the best. Pablo's a good player. People are just finally seeing it."
It took a phone call at 2 a.m. on Sept. 1 to finally convince Reyes' father.
Indianapolis manager Brian Esposito called Reyes one hour earlier to notify him his contract had been selected by the Pirates and would be joining the team the next day in Atlanta. Reyes didn't believe the news, so he hung up and went back to sleep. It wasn't until 30 minutes later when Osuna, who was also notified of his promotion that night, called to congratulate Reyes that he actually realized Esposito was telling the truth.
Reyes then called his parents to notify them of the news and between his mother's weeping, his father apologized for doubting him.
"I still never gave up," Reyes said.
Reyes and Osuna were among the first to arrive at SunTrust Park later that day, and he was greeted by a chorus shout of "Pablo!" when several veterans walked in the clubhouse. Most had never even seen him play. He's since shown them what few thought was possible. He's batted .357/.426/.595 with seven runs, a double, three home runs and seven RBIs in 14 games, seven of which have included at least two hits. He's also reached safely in six of his last seven plate appearances, including two walks and a single Tuesday. A minor-league free agent at season's end, he's now a legitimate option to serve as a utility man on the roster in 2019.
Reyes sat at his locker stall Tuesday afternoon with his cell phone in hand, watching a highlight from the night before. The video showed him hitting a solo home run with 34,570 fans at Wrigley Field, providing an insurance run that helped the Pirates march closer to a possible above-.500 finish.
"That's crazy," he said, looking up from his seat. "I saw myself in the big leagues and said, ‘God, is that me? I hit the ball like that? That shows me I can do it. I know I've surprised a lot of people."