On the right forearm of Reno Aces shortstop Ildemaro Vargas is a red-and-black-splashed tattoo of his son, AJ.
AJ, a 3-year-old curly-haired cutie, is a regular at Greater Nevada Field where he throws and takes batting practice off a tee with his dad. The elder Vargas calls his son his best friend and inspiration, but there’s one nickname AJ doesn’t possess – “my baby.” That nickname is reserved for some torn-up batting gloves.
These aren’t just any batting gloves mind you. These are special batting gloves, thus the special nickname. These are the batting gloves that recently helped the 27-year-old Vargas record at least one hit in 35 consecutive games, the fifth-longest single-season hitting streak in the Pacific Coast League's 116-year history.