Ex-Red Sox Star Sends Emotional Message to Mom While Sharing Priceless Advice for Young Players

It’s not just high-end gear or relentless practice that fuels greatness on the diamond. Sometimes, what makes all the difference is a voice from the dugout, oud, proud, and full of love. That’s what families are for. And no cheer hits harder than a mother’s. Through every struggle, baseball moms show up and stand tall. Even at 57, one former MLB pitcher couldn’t hold back the wave of memories that came rushing back, all because of his mom.

There’s no way the MLB world could forget the blazing fastballs and biting curveballs fired by veteran Tom Gordon in the eighth inning. The legendary relief pitcher earned the nickname “Flash,” thanks to his style and power on the mound. Coming from a baseball family, Gordon also led his kids down the Major League path and is someone who knows what it means to be a sports parent. He saw it firsthand through his father, also named Tom, and his mother, Annie. As he opened up to USA Today Sports about his experience, he couldn’t help but appreciate everything his dear mom had done for him.

“My mom was a stickler in staying on top of your grades,” Gordon told USA Today’s Stephen Borelli. “Being the oldest, you wanted to make sure that the chores around the house were done. … I don’t think I would have made it to the major leagues — I don’t think I would have become the person I’ve had the opportunity to be — without the leadership of my parents,” he added. Like most players, he credits his success to his parents. “And I see it in my brothers, how they deal with people, respond to people. It’s almost like seeing my brothers be just like my mom in a lot of ways; they have that gentle smile before they make a decision,” Gordon continued.

Starting his Major League career at a young age, Gordon learned his first lessons from his father, who was also a pitcher. And Annie always made sure to be there at all of her sons’ local games, while juggling multiple roles. Their determination is something he carried and passed down to his kids. Gordon’s sons, Dee Strange-Gordon and Nick Gordon, both reached the Major Leagues, following in their dad’s footsteps. So as he sat down to share advice with parents on guiding their kids through travel sports, it was only fitting, who better than him, to offer that insight?

After spending 21 seasons pitching for eight Major League teams, including the Red Sox, Yankees, Royals, Cubs, and Phillies, Gordon left the field with wisdom and now coaches and scouts for Perfect Game, a youth softball and baseball platform. He had 10 pieces of advice for sports parents. Some of them include: “It’s not your sports career, it’s your kid’s: Parents’ job is to provide the experience,” and “Let your kid’s sports motivation come from within.” These are words that only come from someone who’s lived it. His final piece of advice? “Just be there for their journey.” That’s all a player needs when they’re battling it out on the field.

Gordon’s was the final interview in USA Today Sports’ three-part summer series with sports dads. They had previously interviewed a former World Series Champion for their second part, and his words underline how important it is to have someone by a player’s side.

Ryan Klesko shares valuable advice

Ryan Klesko is widely known as the legendary first baseman of the Atlanta Braves, celebrated for his impressive contribution to their division title runs in the 1990s. At 54, he now helps kids reach baseball’s elite amateur levels and works as a special assistant to Perfect Game’s ownership group. He’s also active as a baseball dad, coaching his son Hunter at the 16U level. When Stephen Borelli asked him for advice for parents, he had some invaluable tips for the athletes, too.

He advised players to find confidence through failure and went down memory lane to share a relatable instance from his career. Klesko was struggling at the start of the 1995 season, batting under .200 with no home runs. Naturally, this pulled him into immense media scrutiny and rumors of a demotion to the minors, a real tough spot for any young player. “It really hurt me. I think if the coaches had come up to me and said, ‘Hey, you’re gonna be fine. We trust you, don’t listen to all this stuff,’ it would have helped me a little bit more,” he said.

Fortunately, he had a teammate who helped push him out of the slump, and he ended that season with a .310 batting average and 26 homers for the World Series-winning team. In turbulent times like these, when negativity surrounds a player from all directions, it’s a gift to have someone by your side for motivation. And if not teammates, then parents can be that someone. Advice like this is invaluable for any parent who hopes for the best for their kid, both on and off the field. This time, they got it from veterans like Tom Gordon and Ryan Klesko.