Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Eva Geitheim

Elly De La Cruz Was Caught Off Guard When Ben Rice Surprised Him With Perfect Spanish

Cincinnati Reds infielder Elly De La Cruz. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice impressed with an unexpected skill during his rookie season—his Spanish speaking abilities. The 26-year-old from Massachusetts was able to communicate with many Spanish speaking opponents unprompted during the 2024 season, which surprised several players, including Reds All-Star Elly De La Cruz.

"Elly De La Cruz," Rice recalled, via Fireside Yankees. "Talking to him was fun. He hit a line drive at me the inning before, and I jumped up and caught it so I robbed him of a hit. Then when he got to first base ... we started talking and I started talking Spanish with him. He was just very surprised because I'm very unassuming. To speak that Dominican Spanish with him was fun."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.