FORT MYERS, FLA. – Jorge Polanco lost a family member with the death of his grandfather, Maximo, at 73 last June. The emotional impact was significant, as Jorge lived in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, with Maximo for 16 years of his youth.
"My father was in New York and working there,'' Polanco said. "My grandfather was like my father growing up.''
Polanco gained a family member Oct. 26, when his wife, Lucero, gave birth to Jorge Jr. in New York City. This put him on the opposite side of the emotional scale, the joyful side.
"It is an amazing thing to have a baby in your life,'' Polanco said. "It changes everything, for the better.''
Lucero was eight months pregnant when the Twins season ended in New York on Oct. 3, with an 8-4 loss to the Yankees in a wild-card game. The Polancos decided not to have Lucero travel back to the Dominican, so they joined family in New York and Jorge Jr. was born there.
Becoming a father was the peak of an amazing 2017 for Polanco, where the highs and lows were dramatic personally and as a player.
That second part of that drama actually started in 2016. Polanco spent the first two months mostly as a backup infielder for the Twins, then spent June and July at Class AAA Rochester.
He played a total of 75 games, playing second base (All-Star Brian Dozier's position) and never making a start at shortstop.