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Kike Hernandez is one of the most outspoken players on the Los Angeles Dodgers and probably around the league. He keeps a candid persona both on and off the field. His wife and daughter Penelope, are his biggest support system as he navigates his baseball career.
The Dodgers' utility man was a special guest on a segment hosted by the sneaker consignment store Flight Club called 'Friends and Family.' Athletes from all walks of life discuss their favorite sneakers while also giving the audiences an insight into their private lives.
On the segment, Kike was asked about his daughter Penelope and what his learnings are while being a dad to her. Hernandez gave a heartfelt message about how his daughter reminds him of his parents looking after him.
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"I would have to say the best thing that Penelope has taught me is the love that my parents have for me. I feel like roles not necessarily got reversed, but now I understand everywhere they were coming from when I was a kid. All the lessons and all the stuff that happened that shaped me to be who I am today—or patience.
"She has a pretty good balance of both of us. She has my funniness, my energy, spontaneity, but then she has this side of her mom where she's super kind, super sweet. She's very much in tune with her emotions. I think my wife is doing an outstanding job with her, and I think she's going to grow up to be a really good human being," Kike said. [5:11]
This message is particularly special coming from someone like the 33-year-old as he can credit his career to his parents. Kike's father, Enrique Hernandez Sr. was a scout with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization and the father-son duo bonded over baseball in his childhood. His mother ran a boutique shop in Tao Baja, Puerto Rico.
Hernandez met his wife, Mariana Vicente, through social media. Vicente is a Puerto Rican native like Hernandez and is a model-turned-actress, having won the Miss Universe Puerto Rico title in 2010. She has featured in a number of movies as well. Mariana and Kike had been engaged for two years before the couple got married in December 2018. Their daughter Penelope was born in January of 2015.
Kike Hernandez gives his 'parenting tip' to young couples
As a modern-day parent, it is getting increasingly challenging to manage the social life alongside being a parent. Kike Hernandez, who has a lot of media attention himself, understands the problem. He had a small parental tip on the segment.
"A parent pro tip would probably have to be—my daughter is four, but she's been noticing for a while—when you're spending one-on-one time, put your phone down. Kids notice. Kids want your full attention. Time goes by very fast, so just put your phone down and enjoy those core memories because it's what's going to shape him or her to be who they are when they grow up," Kike advised. [6:01]
The 2024 World Series winner has had a tough start to the 2025 season, hitting at .207 with 18 RBIs in 59 games played. Like a true utility man, however, he has clocked in a few innings as a pitcher during a dearth of pitching staff for the Dodgers due to injuries.
