Bobby Witt Jr. playfully roasts former Rangers pitcher dad over interleague homer milestone

Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.'s father was a major league star. He played 16 MLB seasons as a pitcher, most notably with the Texas Rangers. After a decade of playing in the majors, in June 1997, Bobby Witt became the first major league pitcher to hit a home run since Roric Harrison on Oct. 3, 1972.

The hit also made Witt the first American League pitcher to hit a home run in a regular season interleague game. The Royals shortstop rewatched the moment during an interview with Chris Rose.

Bobby Jr. couldn't help but chuckle as he described his dad’s memorable homer and running style after making contact.

"Oh, yeah, look at him running," Bobby Jr. said. "I think it was the high cheese in there.

"He always tells me, 'You can't sneak the cheese by the rat.' But, yeah, I just love when he gets to second, and he's running. I've seen this so many times, and he’s like, 'Oh look, this is where the tight pants came from.'"

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Bobby Witt Jr. revealed being proud after hitting his second home run

Bobby Witt Jr.'s dad Bobby Witt likes to boast about his milestones around the house, especially when the topic of hitting comes up.

"How many homers y’all got in the show?" Witt Jr. quoted his old man asking.

Witt Jr. has three other brothers-in-law in the big leagues — two pitchers and one hitter. So it was a proud moment for Bobby Jr. when he hit his second career home run in the majors. He surpassed his father's tally to become the best hitter of the family.

"When I got drafted out of high school, he would always ask me how many homers I had in the big leagues," Witt Jr. said. "Once I passed him, I was like, 'Got him on that.'"

The Royals star is looking forward to the 2025 season. He finished the 2024 season, winning the AL batting title and coming up runner-up behind Aaron Judge in AL MVP voting results.

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