In late July, as the 2020 Major League Baseball season started amid the pandemic, Colorado Rockies outfielder Ian Desmond found himself standing on his eight-acre property in Sarasota, Fla.
Palmetto bushes had overtaken much of the land. Desmond, who had opted out of the season, was home in the summer for the first time in 12 years. He decided to take on the stubborn fronds.
When he wasn’t working in the yard, he helped his children learn to ride his neighbor’s horses. Desmond’s middle son, Cruz, loved riding so much that he opted out of spring baseball so he could learn to rodeo instead.