Not many athletes can say they got to meet a new family member prior to taking the field. For Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa, he had a chance to meet Scott Kiner, son of former Pirates Hall of Fame slugger Ralph Kiner, before Monday’s game against the New York Mets.
The second cousins met for the first time, exchanging hugs in the Shannon Forde Press Conference Room at Citi Field. It was an emotional occasion, as Kiner-Falefa had never met anyone from Ralph Kiner’s family before.
“This is something that I’ve always dreamed about,” Kiner-Falefa said.
Translation: Esto es algo de lo que siempre he soñado.
Scott Kiner, who resides in Ohio, traveled to New York City to promote a book he authored about his family. This trip turned out to be a perfect opportunity for the Mets and Pirates to arrange this emotional meeting.
Kiner-Falefa signed a Pirates jersey for Scott Kiner during their encounter. Scott Kiner reciprocated with a Ralph Kiner jersey and a charcoal painting of the legendary outfielder. He also shared a portrait of Mary McPherran Kiner, Ralph Kiner’s great grandmother, who is also Kiner-Falefa’s great-great-great grandmother.
Ralph Kiner has connections to both franchises, having played eight of his ten seasons with the Pirates before becoming a Mets broadcaster for 51 years, including hosting a postgame show titled “Kiner’s Korner.”
Kiner-Falefa, who was just reinstated from the injured list due to a hamstring strain prior to the game, entered the batter’s box to the tune of the “Kiner’s Korner” theme song. In his second inning at-bat, he hit a 382-foot home run to left-center field, marking his first home run since August 17, 2024.
“I don’t think I’ve hit a ball that hard all year,” Kiner-Falefa stated. “So I was like, man, I don’t even know where that came from.”
Translation: No creo haber golpeado una pelota tan fuerte en todo el año, así que pensé, hombre, ni siquiera sé de dónde vino.
While the Pirates ultimately fell 4-3 to the Mets, it was undoubtedly a memorable day for Kiner-Falefa.
