Divine timing allowed Braves’ Hurston Waldrep to make MLB debut in front of his mother

By “this,” she’s referring to her son’s debut in the major leagues. She sits in section 114 with her husband, Cliff, and their other children – Ryan, Morgan and Edon. In that same section, others are present: high school baseball coaches, a travel ball coach and family members. Many of them came from Thomasville to see one of their own as he fulfilled a lifelong dream.

When Huston took the field for his first start, he crouched behind the mound before even throwing a warm-up pitch. It’s his pre-match prayer. “Everything I do, pray first,” he later said. Waldrep, who was raised Baptist, wore a bracelet that read “Pray First.”

This – appearing in front of his mother after his treatment ended – was a blessing for him.

“Over the last couple of months, it’s been quite difficult not being home and not being able to support her through her journey,” he said. “She’s the strongest person I know. That’s where I get my work ethic, my personality, who I am, and my stubbornness. But she’s amazing and to be able to have her there, knowing everything she’s been through over the last couple of weeks – the end of her treatment and then all of this happening and lining up – it’s good to see a smile on his face.

And for Hurston fans, that day – his debut – meant everything.

“Emotions are running high,” says Hurston’s father, Cliff.

“It’s a big day, not just for Hurston – it’s a big day for our community,” said Erik McDougald, Hurston’s head baseball coach at Thomasville High School. “And I think that’s a great testament (to Hurston).”

On Sunday, Waldrep allowed seven earned runs in 3-2/3 innings. The line seems worse than reality, however: He didn’t give up a hit through three innings before having a rough fourth frame. He displayed flashes of genius, even if it didn’t go as planned.

There are, however, reasons to be grateful. Hurston, a longtime Braves fan, wore the jersey of the team he idolized growing up. The best is yet to come for Hurston, whose work ethic and determination have personified his journey to the big leagues.

For Cliff, there was only one way to describe this day and the feeling that accompanied it.

“Surreal is the word I’ve used a million times with everyone, and it still remains surreal,” he said. “Whether he pitches again after today, I think he’s done it.”

“He works hard for everything”

Ten years ago, Debbie and Cliff were watching Hurston at an under-12 All-Star tournament in Georgia. And around that time, they noticed their son’s exemplary work ethic. He would come back from baseball tournaments and…play more baseball in their backyard. He was hitting and throwing.

“He spent hours there,” Cliff said. “Nonstop.”

Cliff and Debbie say Hurston’s motivation was his own. They never lived vicariously through any of their children. Their only message: if you start something, you must finish it. They followed their children to whatever interested them – not the other way around.

And when Waldrep arrived at Thomasville High, McDougald immediately noticed how hard he worked. Waldrep was also a punter on the football team – and he loved to kick, despite McDougald’s wishes to stay safe and injury-free. During football season, Waldrep tried to keep his arm active.

Thomasville High had a high net in left field of its baseball diamond. If Waldrep couldn’t find a throwing partner on a given day during football season, he would grab a bucket of baseballs and make his long throw into the left field net. Then he would pick up the balls himself and get back to it.

“He was always ahead mentally, in baseball and in the mental side of things,” McDougald said in the Nationals Park concourse. “Just stuff you don’t really teach a kid.” His work ethic has always set him apart from others. As a high school coach, you like the guys you like to step back a little bit. He’s a guy that you had to back off a little bit – which is great, because you can work with that. You don’t like a passive guy. The last thing he is is he’s very passive. But by its nature it just seems very balanced.

Make no mistake about his carefreely level-headed nature. No, when Waldrep wants something, he works to get it. He comes from a working-class family. Cliff is a quail hunter who manages about 11,000 acres of land and Debbie is a school secretary.

Their son’s determination is part of him.

“When he sets his mind to do something, when he has a goal, he will achieve it,” Debbie said.

“He works his ass off for everything he has,” Cliff said. “We never gave him anything. He works hard. Humble, God-fearing. Just a good young man. So we were lucky with him.

Waldrep is always looking for the next way to improve. An example: In the summer of 2022, he became frustrated with his inability to handle left-handed hitters, so he developed a splitter that eventually became his main weapon, and the one that pushed him into the first round last summer and in the majors. NOW.

But Waldrep is special because he believes that otherwise mundane tasks take on great importance. And in this way, he sets an example for others.

Last offseason, he wanted to hold a bullpen session in the Thomasville High cage. McDougald and a group of his players arrived around 3 p.m. McDougal asked how long Waldrep had been there.

The answer: Since 1:30 p.m., when he began his pre-launch routine with some stretching. McDougald used that as an example for his players.

He told them, “Guys, he didn’t come in 30 minutes ago, 20 minutes ago, and he just threw a little bit and said, ‘I’m ready to go.’ He prepared himself. And guys, he’s throwing a bullpen today. For all of you, it’s just a “pen”. And he thinks about his ‘pen because, it’s more than (him) just throwing a few pitches to a catcher.’

Hours before McDougald told this story, Spencer Schwellenbach — another Braves arm who recently made his debut — talked about Waldrep in the visitors’ dugout at Nationals Park. When asked what makes Waldrep so special, Schwellenbach pointed to what others have done.

He works harder than anyone.

“He does his job. He’s one of those guys that’s always doing something to help his body, (or) recover, to make it better,” Schwellenbach said. “Honestly, I’ve never seen anything like this in professional football. It is one of a kind in this regard.

“And when he gets on the field, he’s fully occupied. When he’s on the mound, you know what you’re going to get. He’s going to throw his best stuff at you. And he has a personality that just says, “I’m going to take you out, and if I don’t, the next time I face you, I’m going to take you out.” “And that’s something really special, and that’s why he’s as good as he is.

“I play for them, not for me”

During Waldrep’s sophomore season, he played in the rivalry game against Thomas County Central. He came in to close out a one-point game. He hit a batter to load the bases and, with adrenaline pumping throughout the stadium, he escaped the threat unscathed.

After the match, he said something from the heart.

“He said, ‘I walked off the field, I looked around the stands, I looked at the people I represent,’ and he calmed down and he came back and he said, ‘I’m playing for them , not for them.’ for me,” Cliff recalls.

It’s clear that Waldrep is proud to represent Thomasville. And the community loves him back: McDougald and his Thomasville High assistant coaches drove — yes, drove — to Nationals Park. They planned to leave Sunday evening.

They did it for Waldrep – as did the rest of his family and friends who attended his special day.

They love him not because he’s a great pitcher, but because he’s an exceptional person. He’s the same guy they’ve always known.

“What he does on the mound today does not represent who he is here,” Cliff said, touching his heart.

When Waldrep attended Southern Miss – his stop before transferring to the University of Florida – he once helped out at a children’s baseball camp in Thomasville. And if any Thomasville High student-athletes need an extra pair of eyes, they’ll send a quick video to Waldrep, who will always text back with his thoughts.

And just before reporting to North Port for the Braves’ spring training, Waldrep spent time at Thomasville High’s baseball practices.

“And he’s just another guy,” McDougald said. “He’s hanging out with the guys and you’re like, ‘This guy is getting ready to go to Braves training camp and he’s just hanging out with our guys.’ No distractions, he’s just sitting on a bucket like another guy hanging out, and they’re talking to Hurston. He’s just a normal guy.

On Saturday, Waldrep said he knew people didn’t know much about Thomasville.

What does he want them to know?

“It’s just a good town full of a lot of good people, and I’m grateful to be where I’m from,” Waldrep said. “My family and friends are very grateful for everything they have done for me. Just a lot of good people.

Thomasville players took the mound at Nationals Park on Sunday. He crouches down, like he always does. Remember: pray first.

“Everything I did, I prayed and I knew God would be with me every step of the way and wherever I went,” he said.

The outing itself didn’t go as well as Waldrep hoped, but there’s still plenty to be thankful for.

“He’ll never take it for granted here,” Cliff said of his son. “He will downplay it, but he won’t forget it.”