The 4th of July tends to bring out all sorts of patriotic pride in America, but rarely does it move professional baseball players to extreme measures of patriotism.
However, St. Louis Cardinals catcher Brayan Pena did take an extreme step, as he announced on Tuesday afternoon that he will be enlisting in the United States Army Reserve in the offseason.
Im very proud to announce with the support of my wife & family that i will be joining the ARMY RESERVE this off season " God Bless America "
— BRAYAN PEÑA (@cuban2727) July 5, 2016
Pena, who came to America in 2000 from his native Cuba, shows just how deep his love for the country that allowed him to escape Communism is with this selfless move. He also has previously chronicled the move he made from Cuba to the United States of America in a piece on The Players Tribune earlier this year.
Pena has hit .259/.299/.351 with 23 homers for the Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, and Detroit Tigers during his 12-year career in Major League Baseball. This year, he’s received just four at bats after starting the season on the disabled list for St. Louis.
