The present for Alex Jimenez's 14th birthday was a good one.
His parents were offering to fly Jimenez down to Bradenton, Fla. The destination was notable due to what awaited the teenager: A chance to meet up with old family friend Brock Holt.
Holt was in the midst of his first full professional season after being taken in the ninth round by the Pirates the previous June. Just a few years before the infielder had been playing for Alex's father, Julio, the coach for Stephenville (TX) High, with the manager's son serving as the bat boy. They were going to go to watch their favorite baseball player play, go out to dinner with the former Stephenville star, and then swing over to Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, which was scheduled to open one day after Alex's birthday.