Why Is Randy Arozarena Seen Training In Cowboy Boots At The World Baseball Classic?

With a 0-1 record and a matchup against the Pool C favourite, the United States, Mexico was virtually facing the worst-case scenario going into its game on Sunday night at the World Baseball Classic. Leadoff hitter Randy Arozarena then hauled out his hidden weapon.

Indeed, he did dress in cowboy boots before the game. And he didn’t only put on a pair; he also used them to rush into the outfield during batting practice to shag fly balls.

Why Is Randy Arozarena Seen Training In Cowboy Boots At The World Baseball Classic?

Before to the game against the United States, Randy Arozarena repeated the move while taking batting practise with Mexico while wearing his trademark cowboy boots.

Following tradition, the athlete from Cuba wore his lucky shoes, this time for the World Baseball Classic, and they once again gave him luck.

But why does Randy Arozarena wear cowboy boots in training?

Go back to 2017, when he played for the Mayos de Navojoa in the Mexican Pacific League, and note that he concluded the season with 14 home runs.

“For me it’s remembering a very nice story that began in Mexico when I was playing in the Mexican Pacific League and a friend, Paul Leon, lent me some boots and I told him that they were going to bring me luck,” he shared in an interview with Sandra Samaniego of Imagen Television.

“That’s how it happened because I was the home run leader in Mexico, and I did it again in the World Series, and in the playoffs; so I’m here to see if they give me luck again.”

When he stole Brent Honeywell’s sneakers and made them his lucky charm in the majors, Randy Arozarena caused a commotion when he wore them with the Tampa Bay Rays before the 2020 American League Regional Series against the Yankees.

“I started calling them the ‘power boots’,” he said when sharing the story a few years ago.

“My teammates started saying they were lucky for me, so I wore them a couple of days before the playoff game, and they worked, I was able to hit a home run in my first at-bat.”

When he got a pair of brown boots from the fans and put them on during batting practise, the Mexican player who had become a naturalised American citizen’s cabal had reached Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.

Randy Arozarena, who finished with three singles, three runs, and two RBIs in five at-bats, was one of the heroes of Mexico’s 11-5 hammering of the United States.

The ninth squad, captained by Benjamin Gil, pulled off an astounding victory over the World Baseball Classic champion by using the left fielder and Joey Meneses to carry the offence.

The Aztec squad will now take today off and resume play tomorrow at Chase Field against Great Britain.

 

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