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“Better Swing Than Stanton”: Shining With Fantastic Hitting Ability Alongside Derek Jeter’s Ex-Teammate, MLB Insider’s Daughter Makes Waves in Baseball World

Published 09/19/2023, 7:30 AM EDT

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2023 has not been a good year for baseball in New York. The season has brought more injuries than anyone was prepared to deal with, bringing performance to an all-time low. The New York Yankees have not seen a worse season in almost 30 years, making fans wish for the good ol’ times. Back when Derek Jeter was in his prime and played with CC Sabathia on defense. It was a dream team.

Sabathia’s arrival in the Bronx in 2009 led the Yanks to their first World Series since 2000. While he has stayed in touch with baseball over the years, the pitcher’s recent appearance at Yankee Stadium melted fans’ hearts. Especially once they saw who he was pitching to.

Penny Hoch Receives Lifelong Boasting Rights With CC Sabathia in the Batting Cage

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MLB’s Bryan Hoch, who typically covers the Yankees for the league, is a renowned name across the Bronx fanbase. Yesterday, he won hearts once again. A “Bring your kid to work day” post on X, formerly Twitter, shows his daughter Penny in the batting cage. With a pinstriped shirt and a dark blue skirt, she faces one of the best in the league.

Armed with a bat and a helmet on her head, Penny Hoch bravely faces off against CC Sabathia, who pitches to her. Given her small stature, the bat looks gigantic in her hand but she handles it well. The former Yankees pitcher obviously doesn’t throw his fastballs at the mini-batter. But she still manages to hit every single one with some power, which earns her cheers from onlookers.

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Another post shows Bryan Hoch facing the left-hander too, hitting like a pro player. For someone who has covered the sport his entire life, one can’t expect anything less than an excellent performance!

Although Hoch admits, Penny stole the show,” he goes on to say in the caption, “But I got to take a few swings off @CC_Sabathia in the Yankee Stadium batting cage too! (Don’t bother playing a 3B or SS against me.)”

This comes months after the writer was designated to the minor leagues for an assignment. There, Maddie Hoch joined her sister and father to pitch some balls to SWB Rail Raiders. As back then, the father-daughter duo won hearts again yesterday.

New York Yankees Fans Melt Over the Heartwarming Display

CC Sabathia is a popular figure in New York and he will likely be a Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible in 2025. Gently pitching to Penny Hoch won the former Yankees player some more points, while the younger Hoch stole the show with her hitting prowess.

One fan declared that her swing was even better than Giancarlo Stanton, who has been struggling the last few years.

One wanted the Yankees to sign her immediately.

One believed she now had a cool story to tell throughout her lifetime.

One thought she could “give some of the struggling Yankees some tips on hitting”.

Another fan wanted her as a left fielder.

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WATCH THIS STORY –  From Black Betsy to Wonder Boy: Baseball’s Most Iconic Bats

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What an adorable moment and a lifelong memory for the Hoch family!

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Written by:

Arunima Bhanot

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Arunima Bhanot is an MLB writer at EssentiallySports. Her tryst with MLB was accidental, but what followed was nothing short of a pursuit of excellence. Arunima's articles have been recognized as Editor's Picks on multiple occasions, highlighting her exceptional attention to detail and insightful coverage.
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Edited by:

Deepanshi Bajaj