To make a living, J.C. Escarra (30), who worked as an Uber driver and as a substitute teacher, has made the opening roster of the New York Yankees. He once considered quitting baseball but, with unwavering determination, achieved his dream at the age of 30.

The U.S. New York Post reported on the 24th (Korean time) the story of catcher Escarra, who was included in the Yankees' opening 26-man roster. On the 23rd, Escarra received notification of his inclusion in the opening roster from Yankees manager Aaron Boone in the manager's office. With no major league experience, his debut on the first opening roster is just around the corner.

Escarra said, "I feel really good. At first, I was just grateful to be here, but now my dream has come true. I can play baseball on the biggest stage. I look forward to what lies ahead."

After receiving congratulations from Manager Boone, Escarra called his mother to share the joyful news. Wiping away tears of emotion, Escarra remarked, "I didn't cry that much. My mother said she knew I would make the roster," adding, "This is a special moment. It's the fulfillment of my whole family's dream."

Looking back at Escarra's journey, it is a true turnaround in life. Drafted in the 15th round as the 458th overall pick by the Baltimore Orioles in 2017, left-handed catcher Escarra was released after the 2021 season and played in independent leagues. He played baseball not only in the U.S. but also in Mexico and Puerto Rico.

After three years in independent leagues, he wandered overseas every winter and faced financial struggles. He had to take on multiple jobs while playing baseball. Working as an Uber driver and as a substitute teacher, he struggled to make ends meet.

Escarra recalled, "During the time when I was earning $400 (about 600,000 won) every two weeks while doing odd jobs to support my family, I thought about quitting everything. I believed it was time to find out what I should do after quitting baseball." He continued, "But I'm glad I didn't. I'm still playing baseball. Something inside me kept pushing me to move forward."

With the support of his wife, he did not give up on baseball and signed a minor league contract with the Yankees last January, seeing light at the end of the tunnel. He began the season in Double-A and finished in Triple-A. Playing for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders under the Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, he had an impressive season with a .320 batting average (51 hits in 169 at-bats), 8 home runs, and 34 RBIs, posting an OPS of .930, and was added to the 40-man roster after the season.

Winning the batting champion title (.363 batting average) in the Dominican Winter League over the winter, Escarra continued his momentum in this year's spring training. He batted .333 (16 hits in 48 at-bats), with 3 home runs, 8 RBIs, and an OPS of .936 over 17 games. Escarra, who received the "James P. Dawson" award given to the most outstanding rookie in spring training every year by the Yankees, made the opening roster as a backup catcher supporting starting catcher Austin Wells.

Given his good batting ability and the chronic calf pain compounded by injuries to both elbows, Escarra is expected to get opportunities in the designated hitter role with Giancarlo Stanton likely to face a long-term absence. He expressed, "I have done everything I can to show that I can help the team win. I'm glad the opportunity has come."

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