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WooSox player makes biggest swing of his life in gender reveal at Polar Park

Tommy Cassell, Telegram & Gazette
·2 min read

WORCESTER — Wilyer Abreu’s most important swing didn’t come during the WooSox game on Saturday.

It came after.

In a planned gender reveal following Worcester’s 8-7 win over Lehigh Valley at Polar Park, Abreu swung at an offering from his pregnant wife, Kelly Valera, who tossed a baseball underhand from a few feet away from home plate. With his entire team watching, Abreu smacked the ball into a blue cloud of powder.

It’s a boy!

“It was the best pitch to hit,” Abreu said through English/Spanish translator and teammate Narciso Crook. “... It feels amazing, it feels great, it’s incredible how happy I am, and it’s to the point where I can't put it into words. So I'm super excited, super happy.”

Wilyer Abreu and his wife, Kelly Valera, perform a gender reveal following Saturday's WooSox game at Polar Park.
Wilyer Abreu and his wife, Kelly Valera, perform a gender reveal following Saturday's WooSox game at Polar Park.

Abreu went 1 for 4 with a single, run and two RBIs to help his team improve to 38-36 on the season. It also happened to be the Venezuelan-born outfielder’s 24th birthday on Saturday.

“It feels really good just to be here with my teammates and to be able to celebrate it with all the guys,” Abreu said.

“He got two RBIs and got another baby coming through,” Crook said. “Beautiful.”

WooSox teammates Wilyer Abreu, left, and Narciso Crook catch up before Abreu performed a gender reveal with his wife following Saturday's WooSox game.
WooSox teammates Wilyer Abreu, left, and Narciso Crook catch up before Abreu performed a gender reveal with his wife following Saturday's WooSox game.

Abreu was acquired by the Boston Red Sox from the Houston Astros in exchange for catcher Christian Vazquez last Aug. 1.

The 6-foot, 215-pound lefty is batting .263 with eight home runs and 27 RBIs across 156 at-bats for the WooSox this season. Abreu, who entered the year as the 22nd-ranked prospect in the Sox organization (according to Baseball America), is currently in his sixth professional season and first full season with the Red Sox organization.

Wilyer Abreu is all smiles after he learns that he and his wife, Kelly Valera, right, will be having a baby boy soon, after the couple performed a gender reveal following Saturday's WooSox game.
Wilyer Abreu is all smiles after he learns that he and his wife, Kelly Valera, right, will be having a baby boy soon, after the couple performed a gender reveal following Saturday's WooSox game.

So what were people expecting from the gender reveal? Boy or girl?

“Team girl,” WooSox outfielder Marcus Wilson said.

“I was thinking boy,” WooSox manager Chad Tracy said.

“I wanted a girl,” Crook added. “I was team girl the whole time, but it’s a boy, so I'm very happy for them, very excited for them, and this is awesome.”

Wilyer Abreu and his wife, Kelly Valera, hug after they perform a gender reveal Saturday at Polar Park.
Wilyer Abreu and his wife, Kelly Valera, hug after they perform a gender reveal Saturday at Polar Park.

It’s a sentiment shared by Abreu, who made the biggest swing of his life on Saturday. He’s excited to welcome a baby boy to the world soon.

“I wasn’t expecting it,” Abreu said. “I'm very, very happy and very, very excited.”

—Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @tommycassell44. 

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Wilyer Abreu performs gender reveal with wife following WooSox game