Bichette Family Forges a Baseball Legacy
In an era of potent offensive forces, Dante Bichette made his mark with the Colorado Rockies as one of the original “Blake Street Bombers.” Strong and rugged, Bichette was a natural power hitter, hitting 274 home runs in 14 big league seasons (1988–2001) while making four All-Star appearances. With his playing days long behind him, Bichette gives way to his sons Dante Jr. and Bo Bichette to continue the family’s baseball legacy and take pride in their cultural heritage.
The eldest of Bichette’s sons, Dante Bichette Jr, was a supplemental first-round draft pick by the New York Yankees in 2011 and spent the past six seasons in their minor league system, most recently at Double-A with the Trenton Thunder. Bichette Jr’s relationship with the Yankees stems from his father’s close friendship with current manager Joe Girardi, dating back to their days as teammates with the Rockies.
Following his first season with the Charleston RiverDogs in 2012, Baseball America listed Bichette Jr. as the organization’s sixth-best prospect. In the years that followed, Bichette Jr. developed gradually and began overcoming his early struggles in 2016 with the Thunder playing for manager Bobby Mitchell, where he hit nine home runs in 342 at-bats and improved defensively playing both corner infield spots.
“I have had some up and down years thus far,” Bichette Jr. said. “I have either had a good year or a bad year in the minor league system. This year was the most I have gotten out of a year yet. I was extremely happy with how I finished, and every aspect of the game started to come around. I am positive and confident about what it is going to bring into the future.”
“I think he is over the hump now,” Bichette Sr. added. “He finally has his feet on the ground. It’s the first time I can say that in pro ball. I think he is going to be ok from here on out and really see what type of hitter he’ll become. It took me awhile too, so I think it’s in the genes.”
Unlike his older brother, Bo Bichette, a recent second-round draft pick by the Toronto Blue Jays experienced success at every spot in his young career. An 18-year-old out of Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, Florida, Bo dominated the competition, hitting a robust .569 with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs and a senior and was the Gatorade/USA Today Florida Player of the Year.
Bo continued his impressive play in the professional ranks, making his debut this past summer with the Toronto Blue Jays, hitting .427/.451/.732 with four home runs in 91 at-bats with the Gulf Coast Blue Jays and made just one error in 59 chances at shortstop. Bo credits playing close to home as the primary factor for his rapid transition to the professional ranks.
“I learned a lot from my brother and my dad about what to expect,” Bo said, so I was pretty well prepared, but I wasn’t expecting to play that well so quickly. It was easier to adjust because I could go home whenever I wanted, and I had an easier time adjusting than the other players because of those advantages.”
In mid-September, the Bichette family learned that Dante Jr. and Bo would represent team Brazil in the World Baseball Classic Qualifier in Brooklyn, playing for Dante Sr’s former Cincinnati Reds teammate Barry Larkin. The Bichette brothers earned selection for the qualifier based on the Brazilian heritage of their mother Mariana, and it was the first time the brothers ever played together on the same team in a competitive atmosphere.
“My wife is born in Brazil and moved here fairly early and went back and forth to Brazil throughout her life. Her parents helped raise our kids and help them with a little bit of that Brazilian heritage. It is a great opportunity for them to play together on this stage,” Bichette Sr. said.
“This is a similar atmosphere to when I played in the Little League World Series,” Bichette Jr. said. “Then you were fighting for the area you came from, and now you are fighting for a country. This means so much to my grandparents and my mom. This is a blessing to represent Brazil with Bo because we never played together before.”
The Bichettes made their international debut on September 22, 2016, for Brazil against Team Pakistan and combined to go 3-for-7 with two runs scored. Bichette Jr’s RBI triple in the third inning was the critical hit in a 10–0 victory. Brazil would advance to the semifinal of the WBC qualifier, falling two games short of the claiming an automatic berth in the 2017 WBC in Seoul, South Korea.
“I think they had to be really nervous,” Dante Sr. said. “They don’t know the players well and knocking the rust off. Bo hasn’t played a real game in awhile, but I think it was good for each of them to get a couple of knocks. Dante just finished the playoffs with the Eastern League, so he was seeing the ball well and was in a playoff atmosphere.”
“It’s been awesome to play for Barry Larkin since he played the same position I do [shortstop], so being around him has helped me tremendously in the last couple of days I have been at the WBC,” Bo said. “Having him here is awesome, and I enjoyed having the experience playing for him and representing Brazil.”
Through their experiences at the WBC Qualifier in Brooklyn, the Bichette family connected with their heritage amongst three generations and continued the strengthen their baseball ties with the lessons picked up from the coaching staff and the adjustments made throughout the tournament. Combined with their minor league pedigree and a father who thrived at the major league level, the Bichettes are forging a connection to the game that hopes to extend for years to come.
“Work ethic is the main thing I worked on with Dante and Bo,” Dante Sr said. “The importance of working hard and constantly making adjustments. I think that is the best thing I could teach them. I think that’s where most people come up short in this game. They don’t realize when they get into it that it’s a job and you have to work as hard as possible.”
(Article originally featured on Scout.com during the 2016 WBC Qualifier)