Sports
Shell yeah: Teoscar Hernández is the Dodgers' always-smiling, seed-throwing motivator
The $23.5 million that the Dodgers are paying Teoscar Hernández this season isn’t just for the power and run production he provides, his ability to play the corner outfield spots and his boundless energy and enthusiasm on the field and in the clubhouse.
It’s seed money.
Whenever a Dodgers player hits a home run, Hernández showers the batter with sunflower seeds as he returns to the dugout, a tradition the 31-year-old from the Dominican Republic with the bushy beard and toothy grin started in Toronto a few years ago and brought with him to Seattle in 2023 and Los Angeles this season.
And if Hernández goes deep — like he did when his dramatic three-run blast to right-center field capped a seven-run ninth inning in an 11-9 come-from-behind victory over the Colorado Rockies in Coors Field on Tuesday night — another player will grab a fistful or two of seeds and toss them at the slugger.
“This game is hard enough — it brings too much stress — so you have to have fun,” said Hernández, who signed a one-year deal in January after the Mariners did not extend a qualifying offer last winter. “I know hitting a home run is good, but this is just a little extra motivation for the guy who hits it and for the other players.”
Hernández, who played six seasons (2017-2022) for the Blue Jays, doesn’t remember the exact moment he started the tradition because it was a spur-of-the-moment thing.
“Everybody had something to celebrate the homer, but we didn’t have anything at that time,” he said. “There was a bucket with like 20 bags of seeds in the dugout, so I just grabbed one and threw it in the air, and then everybody started doing it.”
There is a proper technique to the sunflower-seed shower, though, one Hernández had to school his Blue Jays teammates on.
Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández is hit with sunflower seeds after hitting a solo home run against the Atlanta Braves in May.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
“Some guys at the beginning, they misunderstood, and they were throwing them hard,” Hernández said. “Sometimes you get them in the eyes, and sometimes you get them straight in the mouth. The key is to throw the seeds up and let them walk through them.”
Mookie Betts was the first Dodger to receive the sunflower-seed treatment after he hit the team’s first homer of the season, a two-run shot in a March 21 loss to the San Diego Padres in South Korea. The celebration quickly took root.
“I’ve seen a lot of home run celebrations, but I had never seen a sunflower-seed shower before,” Dodgers infielder Miguel Rojas said. “He started doing it the [second] game of the season with Mookie, and he’s been doing it ever since. It makes us feel really good. It makes everything more enjoyable. And that’s kind of what this team is about.”
It’s what Hernández has always been about. When Hernández hit a two-run double in the 11th inning of a 2-1 win over the New York Yankees on June 7 and a game-breaking grand slam in the eighth inning of an 11-3 win the following night in Yankee Stadium, the back-page headline of Sunday’s New York Post read: “Oscar the Grouch.”
But if Hernández were a Sesame Street character, he’d be Guy Smiley.
“I’m always laughing. I rarely get mad,” Hernández said. “You can go around and ask people, ‘Have you ever seen Teo mad?’ I don’t think they’re gonna say yes. Everybody knows the way I play on the field and act off the field. I’m the same person. I just like to bring joy and happiness to everybody so they can feel good and relax.”
“You feel the adrenaline, and you obviously get up for those kinds of games, when you play in the big moments, the big situations.”
— Teoscar Hernández
Hernández’s exuberance seems to have rubbed off on his teammates, and his attitude and approach seem suited for pressure-packed situations, as he showed during the much-hyped series pitting a pair of historic rivals and potential World Series foes in Yankee Stadium two weekends ago.
Hernández went six for 12 with three homers, two doubles and nine RBIs in the three games against the Yankees.
“Teo was on another level [in New York], on the biggest stage of the season so far, and it makes you excited, because that’s where we want to go,” Rojas said. “We want to get to the playoffs, to the World Series, where the stage is going to be even bigger. And we have a guy who can put the team on his shoulders.”
The Dodgers don’t necessarily need Hernández to carry them in October — they’ve added two-time American League valuable player Shohei Ohtani to a star-studded lineup that includes Freddie Freeman and Will Smith and is waiting for dynamic leadoff man Betts and slugger Max Muncy to return from injuries.
Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández throws sunflower seeds at teammate Mookie Betts during a game against the Giants in April.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
But after their bats went cold in National League Division Series losses to the Padres in 2022 and the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023, it can’t hurt to have another big bat with the potential to thrive on an October stage.
“You feel the adrenaline, and you obviously get up for those kinds of games, when you play in the big moments, the big situations,” Hernández said. “But I try to be the same guy, to be myself, and to not put pressure on myself. I’m not trying to do too much, because that’s when everything starts to go the opposite way that you want it to go.”
Hernández, who entered Friday night’s game against the Angels with a .261 average, .834 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, 18 homers, 16 doubles and a team-high 54 RBIs, has been solid in the clutch, batting .225 (20 for 89) with an .823 OPS, six homers, five doubles and one triple with runners in scoring position.
He’s batting .308 (four for 13) with a 1.154 OPS, two homers, one double and 12 RBIs with the bases loaded, his other grand slam coming in the sixth inning of a 5-1 win at San Diego on May 11.
“I’ve said it before, he reminds me a little bit of Manny Ramirez in the sense that when guys are on base, certainly with runners in scoring position, he’s even better,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “We’ve seen that all year from him. He’s sneaky been the MVP of our club.”
Teoscar Hernández hits a two-run home run against the Texas Rangers on June 11.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
“When you look back at last year, I was hitting the ball hard, but everybody knows how the ball travels at T-Mobile Park. Now, I’m hitting the ball hard and getting the production that I expect.”
— Teoscar Hernández
Hernández hit two homers and drove in four runs in a 6-3 win over St. Louis on March 29 homered and drove in all three runs of a 3-1 win over Miami on May 8. He was named NL player of the week after hitting .260 (nine for 25) with a 1.389 OPS, four homers, 10 RBIs, three doubles and six runs in six games from June 3-9.
“He’s been big, especially with Max being out,” right fielder Jason Heyward said, referring to Muncy, who has been sidelined since May 16 because of a rib-cage strain. “He had some big hits to start the season, some big at-bats, some big homers for us. No doubt, he’s helped hold things down.”
The Dodgers thought the right-handed-hitting Hernández would benefit from a change of scenery. Hernández hit just .217 with a .643 OPS, 12 homers and 44 RBIs in Seattle’s pitcher-friendly T-Mobile Park last season and .295 with an .830 OPS, 14 homers and 49 RBIs on the road.
“When you look back at last year, I was hitting the ball hard, but everybody knows how the ball travels at T-Mobile Park,” Hernández said. “Now, I’m hitting the ball hard and getting the production that I expect.”
While his plate discipline will never rival that of Yankees star Juan Soto, Hernández has been more selective than he was in 2023, when he hit .258 with a .741 OPS, 26 homers, 29 doubles, 93 RBIs, 211 strikeouts–third most in baseball — and just 38 walks.
His 92 strikeouts this season are the fifth-most in the major leagues, but he’s walked 27 times, lowering his strikeout rate from 31.1% last season to 28.4% this season and boosting his walk rate from 5.6% in 2023 to 8.4% in 2024.
According to Fangraphs, Hernández’s 29.3% chase rate, the percentage of pitches he swings at outside the strike zone, is down from last year’s 34.5%.
Teoscar Hernández watches from the dugout during a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on May 20.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
“They’re going down, little by little,” Hernández said of his strikeout and chase rates. “I think it’s experience, understanding everything you need to do to get better and to execute a game plan. One of my goals for this year is to bring the strikeouts down and increase the walks so I can get on base more. That way, I can help the team get better.”
Hernández’s productive bat has been a constant in the middle of the lineup — he and Freeman are the only two Dodgers who have started all 77 games — and his effervescent smile rarely takes a night or an at-bat off.
“I’ve seen him get frustrated about chasing a pitch, striking out in a big spot or making a mistake in the field, but he goes back to normal real quick, faster than anybody that I’ve ever seen,” Rojas said. “Then he’ll get excited when he does something really good for the team. That’s why it’s important to have a guy like Teoscar. He brings the energy.”
Sports
Indy 500: Counting Down The 10 Best Finishes In Race History
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The best Indianapolis 500 finish could be subjective, depending on which driver a fan was rooting for to win.
It certainly is in the eye of the beholder.
So take this list for what it’s worth. One view of the 10 best finishes in Indianapolis 500 history. Of course, it skews to more recent decades when the runs have come a little faster and the finishes have had a tendency to be a little closer.
We’ll add one each day to this list of fantastic finishes ahead of the 110th running of the Indy 500 on May 24 (12:30 p.m. ET on FOX).
10. Ericsson outduels O’Ward (2022)
After a red flag, Marcus Ericsson held off Pato O’Ward in a two-lap shootout. The shootout didn’t last two laps, though, as there was a crash on the final lap behind them. Ericsson had a comfortable lead when the red flag came out for a crash with four laps to go, a situation where in past Indianapolis 500 races, they likely would have ended the race under caution with Ericsson as the winner.
9. Foyt survives chaos (1967)
How does a driver who wins by two laps end up on this list? It’s because the win nearly didn’t happen on the last lap. A big crash with cars and debris littering the frontstretch just ahead of Foyt as he came to the checkered flag forced him to navigate through the wreckage for the win.
8. Sato can’t catch Franchitti (2012)
This was one of those finishes where the leader holds on for the win, but boy did the leader have to hold on. Takuma Sato tried to pass Dario Franchitti early on the final lap but to no avail and Franchitti sped off for the victory. This was one of those Indy 500s that made you hold your breath all the way to the checkered flag.
Sports
UCLA softball pummels South Carolina to advance to NCAA super regional
No. 8 UCLA stuck with right-hander Taylor Tinsley throughout the Los Angeles Regional and that faith in the senior paid off.
During the Bruins’ NCAA tournament opener at Easton Stadium, Tinsley gave up 10 runs before her teammates rallied for a walk-off win. She returned less than 24 hours to pitch against South Carolina, giving up two earned runs in a victory. Tinsley was back in the circle Sunday afternoon, yielding one run in UCLA’s 15-1 victory over the Gamecocks to advance to the super regionals.
“I am proud of Taylor’s resiliency, the ability to do whatever she can to help this team,” UCLA coach Kelly Inouye-Perez said. “She got stronger through the weekend. I am proud of that.”
Tinsley and her teammates will host Central Florida in a super regional that begins Friday.
“I feel good,” Tinsley said after pitching three key games in three days. “I could have gone more innings if needed.”
South Carolina right-hander Jori Heard gave up only one hit through two innings, keeping UCLA’s potent bats relatively quiet. The Gamecocks had runners on first and second with two outs in the second, but Tinsley escaped the inning with a pop-up to left field.
The Bruins got on the board first with a two-run home run from left fielder Rylee Slimp in the third inning. The Bruins followed it up by loading the bases with no outs in the fifth for right fielder Megan Grant.
Grant cooked up a grand slam to make it 6-0. She has 40 home runs, extending her hold on the NCAA single-season home run record. Oklahoma freshman Kendall Wells trails Grant with 37 homers.
“Its just incredible because I am blessed to be able to say the number 40,” Grant said.
South Carolina broke through on an RBI single from left fielder Quincee Lilio to cut UCLA’s lead to 6-1 in the fifth inning after being held to just one hit since the first inning. The Gamecocks couldn’t cash in the rest of the way.
The Bruins resumed scoring in the sixth inning, with the bases loaded and Grant at bat again. Fans at Easton Stadium anticipated another grand slam, holding up their cellphones hoping to catch some magic. Grant served up a two-run RBI single to expand the lead 8-1.
Jordan Woolery added to the scoring with a two-run RBI double down the left-field line, and Kaniya Bragg hit a home run to left-center field. Soo-jin Berry put a bow on the win with one more home run.
Sports
Pro wrestling star learns what ‘land of opportunity’ means in US as he details journey from Italy to America
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Cristiano Argento has been tearing up opponents in the ring for the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) as he worked his way up the ladder to get a few shots at some gold.
But the path to get to one of the most prestigious pro wrestling companies in the U.S. was long and a path that not many wrestlers have taken.
Argento was born and raised in Osimo, Italy – a town of about 35,000 people located on the east side of the country closer to the Adriatic Sea. He told Fox News Digital he started training in a ring at a boxing gym before he got started on the independent scene in Italy. He wrestled in Germany, Sweden, France and Denmark before he came to the realization that, to become a professional wrestler, he needed to make his way to the United States.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Cristiano Argento performs in the National Wrestling Alliance (Instagram)
He first worked his way to Canada to get trained by pro wrestling legend Lance Storm. He moved to Canada, leaving most of his friends and family behind and without a firm grasp on the English language.
“At the time, my English was horrible. I didn’t speak any English at all,” he said. “But I was with my friend, Stefano, he came with me and he translated everything for me. I probably missed 50% of the knowledge that Lance Storm was giving to us because I was unable to understand. I was only given a recap and everything I was able to see. I’m sure if I was doing it now with a proper knowledge of English, it would have been a different scenario.
“Eventually, I moved back to Italy after the training and I said, OK, now, I want to go to the U.S. So, I studied English more properly, and eventually I got my first work visa that was in Texas. I was in Houston for a short period of time. I trained with Booker T at Reality of Wrestling. I got on his show, which was my debut in the U.S. That was awesome. I eventually got a new work visa in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I currently live since 2017. Since then, my wrestling career, thankfully, kept growing, growing, growing and growing until now wrestling for the NWA. One of the bigger promotions in the U.S.”
Argento said that his family thought he was “nuts” for chasing his pro wrestling dream.
He said they were more concerned about his well-being given that he was half-way around the world without anyone he knew by his side in case something went sideways.
“My family, friends, everybody was like why do you want to move to the opposite side of the world not knowing the language, not knowing anybody, by yourself, to try to become a professional wrestler? And I was like, well, we have one life, I love, and that’s what I’m gonna do,” he told Fox News Digital. “Eventually, my family was really supportive. But when I first said, ‘Hey, mom and dad, I want to do that.’ They looked at me like, ‘Are you nuts? Are you drunk or something? What are you talking about?’ And I said, no that’s what I want to do. And they knew I loved this sport because in Italy I was traveling around Europe, spending time in Canada training, so they started to understand slowly that’s what I want to do with my life. They were proud of me.
Cristiano Argento works out in the gym. (Instagram)
“They’re still proud of me. I think more like the fact that you’re gonna try that, that it’s hard than more like you’re gonna leave us. The fact like, oh, my son is gonna go on the opposite side of the world for a six-hour time difference and we’re gonna see him maybe, when, like, I don’t know. Not often. I think it was more that. And for me too, it was really hard. It was heartbreaking not being able to see my family every day or every month. Like once a year if I’m lucky. I think that was the biggest part for them because of concern or that I was here by myself and if I have any issue or any problem, I didn’t have nobody. So they were scared. Like, you get sick, if you have a problem, anything, and they’re not being able to be here next to me. But they were really supportive since day one.”
Argento is living out his dream in the U.S. He suggested that the moniker of the U.S. being the “land of opportunity” wasn’t far from what is preached in movies and literature – it was the real thing.
“I was inspired by people who came to the U.S. and made it big,” Argento told Fox News Digital. “The U.S. was always like the land of opportunity. That’s how they sell it to us and this is what it is. I feel like, in myself, that was true because anything I tried to do so far I was able to reach a lot more than if I wasn’t here. I’m not yet where I’d like to be but I see like there’s so many opportunities in this country. Not just in wrestling but like in any business to reach the goal. I’m really happy of the choices I did here.
National Wrestling Alliance star Cristiano Argento poses in Times Square in New York. (Instagram)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“But my big inspirations were big-time actors who moved to the country, who didn’t know English, with no money, no support system. I had one dream, I have to go right there to make it happen and I’m gonna go and do it and I’m gonna make it happen. So those people were always the biggest inspiration even if it wasn’t in wrestling, just how they handled their passion, how they pursued their dream without being scared of anything, how far you are, how alone by yourself … You don’t know the language, you’re like, let’s go, let’s do it.”
Outside of the NWA, Argento has performed for the International Wrestling Cartel, Enjoy Wrestling and Exodus Pro Wrestling this year.
-
Utah1 minute agoUtah’s fragile desert could feel like the Sahara if America’s biggest data center gets built
-
Vermont7 minutes agoVT Pride events mix protest, joy as LGBTQ groups see threat in new laws
-
Virginia13 minutes agoVirginia Lottery Pick 3 Night, Pick 3 Day results for May 17, 2026
-
Washington19 minutes ago
Washington Lottery Cash Pop, Pick 3 results for May 17, 2026
-
Wisconsin25 minutes ago
Wisconsin Lottery Pick 3, Pick 4 results for May 17, 2026
-
West Virginia31 minutes agoWVDNR reminds public to leave young wildlife alone
-
Wyoming37 minutes agoHeavy Mountain Snow Expected Through Monday, Freezing And Snow For Cheyenne And Laramie
-
Crypto43 minutes agoRaoul Pal: The US-China AI Race 2026 Is a War No One Can Win