Written By: Noah Douglas
Cesar Izturis Jr. grew up in the major leagues.
From age 2-14, Izturis Jr. watched his dad’s MLB career unfold. As a player known for his defense and versatility, Izturis Jr. found his baseball idol – Cesar Izturis.
“He never pushed me to play baseball but my dad has been inspiring me since day one,” Izturis Jr. said. “Watching him live his dream and do his job, I won’t ever forget that.”
Izturis won a gold glove in 2004, so Izturis Jr. understands the importance of defense within his family. Izturis Jr. wasted no time in following in his father’s footsteps as he quickly focussed on his glove work.
“When I was a kid he always wanted me to learn infield,” Izturis Jr. said. “I can play any position but if you play shortstop, I guarantee you can play anywhere in the diamond.”
Izturis Jr. didn’t stop there. He continued to mimic his father by learning how to switch hit.
“My dad taught me how to switch sides at a young age and I think that’s a very big advantage to go out there and compete with.”
Although Izturis Jr. didn’t start playing baseball with the intent of making it a career until he was 12-years-old, his father’s support never wavered.
“Even though I would have picked a doctor or even basketball, he would have supported me too,” Izturis Jr. said. “But of course, he wanted me to play baseball like everybody else did.”
Now on his own professional journey, Izturis Jr. has one mission – to be better than his father.
The Lake Country DockHounds utility player has provided a spark in the lineup and a jolt of energy in the field. With his Venezuelan heritage, Izturis Jr. shows a lot of personality while he is playing.
A big part of Izturis Jr.’s success is his work done behind the scenes.
“My biggest fear in life is being unprepared,” Izturis Jr. said. “So ever since I got here or ever since I’ve been playing baseball, I just want to play. I don’t care where, I just want to go out there, compete and have fun.”
As Izturis Jr. has embarked on his professional career, his idolization of his dad never quit.
“He’s my hero, he’s my idol, he’s everything to me,” Izturis Jr. said. “Being able to inspire me to play baseball, that means everything to me.”
