Ronald Acuña Jr. hits a grand slam at Dodger Stadium on August 31, 2023. Photo by Mark J. Terrill via AP Photo
Ronald Acuña Jr. tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend, and then proceeded to make MLB history twelve hours later.
Thursday, August 31, 2023 will forever go down as the biggest day in Acuña’s life. Early in the morning, he married his longtime girlfriend and now wife, Maria Laborde. Then, later in the evening, he would become the first ever 30-60 player in Major League history. That is, 30 home runs and 60 stolen bases in a single season.
Oh yeah, and Acuña would also hit his 30th home run of the season, a grand slam off of Lance Lynn, in this game. Acuña is currently battling Dodger and fellow brethren Mookie Betts for the 2023 NL MVP, but it’s safe to say that last night was Acuña’s night.
The Braves would go on to beat the Dodgers in L.A. by a score of 8-7. Laborde and the couple’s two kids, 11-month-old Jamall and 2-year-old Ronald Daniel, watched their hero from Section 108 of Dodger Stadium. Acuña himself kept the ticket and presented it to his wife, inscribed with a heartfelt message reading in Spanish:
For the rest of my life, I hope you never forget this incredibly special day for us.
“We’re a family,” Acuña said regarding the marriage. “Since we’ve known each other, we’ve wanted to be together. We have two kids. Family is meant to be together. That comes before anything else. I’m really happy that’s going to happen now.”
Acuña and his two children are U.S. citizens, having been born in the States, but his wife Maria was not. Her Venezuelan visa was due to expire soon, meaning that she would have had to return to her home country by the end of the week and not be allowed to return for a few months. Acuña did not want that to happen, so he set up a wedding on the fly.
“The kids were born here, but the mom needs to come and go,” Acuña said of the circumstances. “I don’t like that process. It’s really a hassle. If we go to the playoffs, if we go to the World Series, and they’re not with me, it’s tough. I want my family to be here with me.”
The Braves and Dodgers will battle it out in Los Angeles for the next three games. Acuña and Betts, meanwhile, will battle it out for NL MVP this month. With both teams and both players lighting it up in August, it’s safe to say that September will be a scorcher.
