However, it was a big moment for Hernando High School in Brooksville, Fla., 50 miles north of Tampa. The veteran Reds starter Arroyo, 40, and the Giants rookie third baseman Arroyo, 21, are both graduates of Hernando, though they are not related.
“I guess if I was going to give up a homer, I would give it up to him,” Bronson said. “I’ll take that. I can look on the back of his baseball card years from now when I’m not playing anymore and say I gave you one.”
Christian was born on May 30, 1995. Bronson graduated from Hernando that spring. They both played for Hernando coach Tim Sims, who texted them this week, knowing they would play against each other.
“He said make sure you get a picture,” Bronson said after the game. “I said we’ll try tomorrow if it’s not raining all day.”
After his home run in the second, Arroyo lined out against Arroyo in the fifth. Four years ago, Christian was the Giants’ first-round pick. Bronson visited him in Brooksville to give him advice.
“I went to his house before he was drafted,” Bronson said. “I knew he was going to be a high draft pick. I wanted to give him and his parents an idea of what was to come in the minor leagues so he wasn’t surprised. There’s a lot of myths inside everything you do, especially when you’re ascending a ladder that long. There are six or seven steps to get to the big leagues. Sometimes you hear things that aren’t true, and sometimes things are. I just wanted to give him clarity on what it was to be drafted and how important it was to be a high draft pick versus a low draft pick and if it matters and also give him an idea of how I thought it would be best for him to handle the situation.”
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