SARASOTA, Fla. — Enrique Bradfield Jr. fought back tears as he talked about how Saturday’s Spring Breakout win was the “highlight” of his spring training.
The Orioles outfield prospect was one of the stars of the game broadcast on MLB Network. He recorded two hits, stole a base and showed off his electric speed and athleticism with an acrobatic slide into home plate.
But Bradfield didn’t want to talk about his performance or his talent. He wanted to talk about his friend, Isaiah Hood, who died in a motorcycle accident last week. Hood was 25.
“I came out here, played for my friend,” Bradfield said softly. “It was tougher than I expected, but you got to do what you got to do. I hope he’s resting up there. It’s been a tough week for everybody that I’ve been around — my family, my friends, his family.
“Playing with a heavy heart.”
Bradfield and Hood played travel baseball growing up in South Florida, from summer ball tournaments to Perfect Game showcases. Bradfield was a speedy outfielder, while Hood was a “very talented” left-handed pitcher.
Bradfield, who has an infectious personality, said Hood was more reserved when he first met him. But as kids often do, they bonded over baseball.
“A very quiet kid. Once you got him in a comfortable setting, though, he opened up,” Bradfield said. “A great friend, great person, great big brother, great son all the way around.”
The Orioles’ prospects beat the New York Yankees’ youngsters, 5-4, in walk-off fashion. After Leandro Arias’ game-winning single, the Orioles rushed the field to celebrate. Shortly after, Bradfield found his mom and sister, both emotional, and gave them hugs.
“There’s a lot of people, including myself, including my family, who are hurting right now,” Bradfield said. “Just made the past couple of days very tough. Trying to stay busy, keep my mind in good spirits, but at the end of the day it’s a loss of life that can’t be replaced. It’s just hard, very hard and tragic all the way around.”
In the first inning, Bradfield showcased the elite speed that made him a first-round pick in 2023 and one of the Orioles’ best prospects. He led off the frame with an opposite-field single, advanced to third on an errant pickoff attempt and scored on a wild pitch.
As he sprinted home, it appeared as if Bradfield would be out easily. But he slid headfirst, twisted his body to avoid the tag and reached his hand out to swipe across home plate. He had told himself before the game that he’d try to conceal his emotions, but they came out once he saw the umpire’s safe call. Bradfield jumped off the dirt and screamed in excitement as he walked back to the dugout.
“I hope he’s happy,” Bradfield said of Hood. “You know, I tried to be focused out there and my energy in that moment, sliding across home plate specifically, it just maybe some emotion comes out of me and that’s normal. You know, that’s life. Bad things happen. You have to pick yourself up and keep moving forward.”
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