Giants’ Belt dedicates remainder of season to his grandmother
QUEENS, N.Y. — Brandon Belt said he wasn’t sure if his maternal grandmother, Margaret, grew up a fan of baseball, but he knew she was always a fan of him.
Margaret helped pay for Brandon to play in showcases as a child, passed out autographed baseball cards featuring Brandon to her friends and hosted memorable family gatherings over the holidays.
When Margaret died Tuesday morning of COVID-19, her grandson chose to play that night against the New York Mets because he believed she would want him to be in the lineup.
“I sent a text to my wife and parents before the game and just told them I was struggling a little belt,” Belt said on a Zoom call with reporters on Tuesday evening. “My dad just reminded me that she would want me to go out there and do the best I could. I think that really kind of locked me in as much as it could.”
In his first at-bat of the game against Mets right-hander Tylor Megill, Belt launched a towering 431foot home run to straightaway center field that would be all the offense the Giants needed in an 8-0 win.
“Obviously I want to go out there and do well every day, but I really wanted to do that today for her,” Belt said. “Just let her know that I appreciate everything and I love her.”
After singling in his next at-bat, Belt came to the plate again in the top of the fourth and lined a second solo home run over the left field wall to push the Giants ahead 6-0. The opposite-field homer marked a careerhigh 19th of the season for Belt, who missed more than a month of games this summer with a knee injury.
“He just looked locked in,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “And I think that’s sort of amazing given what he’s experienced today. I thought his swings looked great, bat whistled through the zone in his first at-bat and it kept flying through
the zone in each subsequent one.”
In the hour leading up to first pitch on Tuesday, Belt embraced Kapler on the field. Belt informed Kapler of his intent to play, and after he hit his first home run, Kapler sensed something special.
“I couldn't help but feel like something powerful was at play there,” Kapler said. “I actually had a good conversation with (trainer Dave Groeschner) about it and I thought it was really powerful.”
Belt explained postgame that he needed space to himself in the dugout amid Tuesday's performance to process all of the emotions he felt.
“I think it was pretty emotional the whole game,” Belt said. “I just had to stop and go be by myself for a little bit and just take it all in and know there was something higher at play there.”
Belt said Margaret lived right down the road from his family in his home state of Texas and he spent much of his childhood around her. A two-time All-star and two-time World Series champion with the Giants, Belt said he wouldn't have made it as far in his career without the full support of his grandmother.
“It's been a pretty tough day and I've been in a daze all day,” Belt said. “I was glad I could come out and do that for her. I wanted to dedicate the rest of the season to her as well.”